When it comes to caring for an older family member, there are many people that make the difficult decision to entrust their care to a nursing home or an assisted living facility. However, the nurses, doctors and other staff of the facility may not always provide superior levels of care, or may be reckless with the health of the elderly person, in which case a nursing home can become a very dangerous facility.
If you have any suspicions that your elderly family member was injured due to cases of negligence, or even active abuse, while residing at the assisted living facility, in the hospital or in a nursing home, it is essential that you contact an attorney right away who can help with proving and receiving damages for neglect. Justice nursing home neglect is serious and an issue that should not be ignored.
Common Signs of Nursing Home Negligence or Elder Abuse
As a family member of an elderly person in a nursing home or assisted living facility, it is your responsibility to monitor the health and their overall physical well-being with regular visits and evaluations of the facility where they reside. Some of the most common signs of negligent care or abuse include:
- Bedsores, which are also referred to as decubitus ulcers;
- Dehydration and malnutrition;
- Inadequate personal hygiene;
- Improper use of restraints to prevent a fall, which includes the use of bed restraints;
- Broken bones or fractures;
- Medications that are not administered properly.
There are a number of cover up schemes that the staff of the facilities may try to use, such as disregarding the policy of the facility by hiring workers that are not qualified or that do not have background checks. In many cases the abusive staff members may threaten your loved one to keep them from disclosing the abuse to family members or others that may take action against the facility.
How Family Members Can Take Action
When it comes to abuse and neglect, an older person does not have to handle the lawsuit on their own. Instead, family members or the appointed guardians are able to sue the negligent facility on the behalf of the person that was injured or abused. In these cases, the nursing home, assisted living facility or hospital may be responsible for any accrued medical expenses and to compensate the victim for the unnecessary suffering or pain that they went through. This is where attorneys for Justice nursing home neglect are beneficial and can help prove the case. It is essential that you find an attorney that understands the laws that relate to elder abuse or neglect.
Are you worried about your elderly family member? If so, find an attorney to help with Justice nursing home neglect. Visit the website of Mary Ann Covone, Attorney at Law to learn more.
