Most people treat older adults with respect regardless of whether they need nursing home care. Sadly, though, nursing home abuse sometimes affects the most vulnerable elderly people. This is what you need to know and how you can fight back on your loved one’s behalf.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse can occur in different forms, but it always involves some type of harm to an elderly resident. Unfortunately, many families who have older loved ones in need of extra specialized help entrust them to facilities without researching them beforehand. Not knowing a facility’s reputation can increase the risk of abuse. While nothing can undo the harm suffered by your loved one, nursing home abuse lawyers at A to Z injury law can hold the liable party or parties accountable.
Breaking Down the Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse
A nursing home abuse attorney can help you prepare a lawsuit if your loved one has suffered in their long-term care facility. Physical abuse is one of the most common types of nursing home abuse. It occurs when a staff member intentionally hits, slaps, kicks, or pushes a resident, causing injuries.
Emotional nursing home abuse involves verbally berating, threatening, or instilling fear in an elderly resident. If your loved one is subjected to this treatment, they can appear withdrawn, sullen, or sad. They may not act the way they normally do and may be fearful.
Sexual abuse against nursing home residents ranks as one of the most heinous. Nursing home abuse lawsuits can hold the staff member responsible for raping or molesting residents liable for the harm suffered by the victims.
Some nursing home abuse is financial. If you have noticed large sums of money suddenly missing from your relative’s bank account, a staff member assigned to caring for them might be helping themselves to their funds. A nursing home abuse attorney can help you prepare your lawsuit to recover damages.
Reporting Nursing Home Abuse
In addition to contacting nursing home abuse lawyers for advice and filing a lawsuit, you can take other steps to report the abuse against your vulnerable loved one. Speaking up on their behalf can help you be their voice. Reporting the abuse to law enforcement authorities is one of the first steps to start an investigation so that those at fault can be brought to justice.
If your loved one has suffered a life-threatening emergency as a result of nursing home abuse, call 911 immediately. You can also contact the state’s nursing home ombudsman to report the nursing home facility for the abuse. When nursing home abuse lawsuits are pending, the ombudsman will check on the welfare of residents in the reported facilities to determine if abuse is taking place.
No one should suffer nursing home abuse, but if your loved one has been a victim, contact A to Z Injury Law to discuss your case with nursing home abuse lawyers.
