Over the past decade, incidents of abuse in nursing homes have been on the rise. Cases of medication errors, neglect, lack of hygiene and physical abuse have been reported. Nursing home abuse lawyers provide victims and their families with legal guidance so as to offer protection against abuse and mistreatment. Elderly abuse in nursing homes and living facilities can range from financial exploitation to physical and sexual abuse and even sheer neglect. The inadequacy of staff is one of prime causes for neglect in such facilities. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, most nursing homes are poorly staffed by nearly 50%.
Elderly people and mentally impaired persons are placed in nursing home facility when they require special care and attention. Abuse in nursing home comes under the purview of Elder law. This law serves to attend to the special needs of older people of society. The comfort and financial protection of the elderly is thus taken care of. Health care and living conditions in a nursing home or hospice are also taken up for consideration under Elder law. Nursing home abuse lawyers handle nursing home abuse cases and seek to represent the cases of abuse and neglect in a dignified and cost-effective manner.
Indications of Abuse that a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer will look for:
On account of the limited ability on the part of nursing home residents to communicate, it becomes difficult to identify potential cases of abuse. This requires careful monitoring by frequent visits. Here are few indications of abuse that a lawyer will look for when handling such abuse cases.
Bedsores: These pressure sores or decubitus ulcers are the result of neglect and poor hygiene. They can be avoided with timely and proper care.
Malnutrition and dehydration: When an elderly person suffers extreme weight loss, this can be indicative of poor care.
Over medication: Many a time, elderly nursing home residents are abused with medication that puts them into a semi-sedated condition. Such persons are likely to lose quality of life and are more susceptible to falls and bedsores.
Poor hygiene: There have been instances where patients are forced to lie on their bodily waste, increasing the likelihood of bedsores and pneumonia. It is necessary to ensure that the elderly persons whom you have placed in these nursing homes are treated with dignity and care.
Seek services of a reliable Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
With the rapidly growing elderly population, there has been tremendous strain on the assisted living and nursing home industry, which is also motivated by profits. Nursing home abuse lawyers seek to ensure that the basic rights and dignity of an individual are not compromised. A lawyer specializing in nursing facilities abuse helps the victims and their families assess the case and pursue it for claims.
A patient is protected by numerous federal and state laws in addition to the Nursing Home Reform Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. An attorney for nursing home abuse can help you monitor the case if there is a suspicion that the rights of the patient have been violated. Nursing homes that are federally funded are required to comply with federal legislation. Some states have enacted tougher laws to protect the rights of the elderly.
A look into few Nursing Home Abuse Cases
The owners of a Jewish Senior nursing home facility in West Palm Beach were charged with nursing home abuse neglect in September 2003. An owner of a nursing home in Georgia was sentenced to 15 years probation on ground of nursing home abuse and neglect. A victim of bedsore infections died of septic shock after neglect in a nursing home in Hawaii in 2002. These are but a few incidents…the numbers continue to grow.
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