Fort Lauderdale Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer
We entrust our elderly loved ones to a nursing home facility and expect them to receive top notch care from nursing home staff and administrators. However, some nursing homes fail to live up to those expectations and harm our family members through neglect, failing to care for their basic needs. At Leifer & Ramirez, our Fort Lauderdale nursing home neglect lawyers fight to protect our clients harmed by the passive neglect of nursing home facilities and are here to talk about your claims today.
Types of Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect can take many forms, with the common denominator being a lack of care or breach of duty on the part of the nursing home facility caring for your loved one. Unlike nursing home abuse, where staff or administrators actively seek to harm residents, nursing home neglect is more of a passive omission in lack of care. The most common types of nursing home neglect include the following:
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Medical neglect: failure to treat or prevent medical issues, including care for diabetes, bedsores, infections, dementia, and mobility issues
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Basic needs neglect: failure to provide adequate water, food, or a clean and safe environment for the residents
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Personal hygiene neglect: failure to assist residents with cleaning, bathing, brushing teeth, and other basic hygiene practices
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Social or emotional neglect: when nursing home staff repeatedly ignore residents, leaving them alone and isolated
Signs of Nursing Home Neglect
Identifying nursing home neglect can be more difficult than nursing home abuse because the signs of neglect can be subtler. In addition, it can be difficult to notice behavioral changes unless the resident is visited often by family or other loved ones. If you suspect a family member is being neglected in a nursing home, look for the following signs:
- Bed sores
- Frequent infections
- Malnutrition
- Injuries from falls
- Dehydration
- Withdrawn behavior
- Failure to sustain friendly interactions with fellow residents or staff
- Changes in appearance or hygiene
- Environmental hazards in the nursing home facility
If you notice signs of nursing home neglect it is important that you contact an experienced nursing home neglect attorney immediately.
Compensation for Nursing Home Neglect
If a nursing home facility is found guilty of neglecting your loved ones, you may be entitled to compensation for your case. Restitution for nursing home neglect can include reimbursement for medical bills, rehabilitation and therapy, and relocation expenses. Compensation may also be paid for pain and suffering and emotional distress. The nursing home facility may also be responsible for paying both sides’ attorneys’ fees, and in particularly serious cases of nursing home neglect the facility may also be charged punitive damages to serve as punishment for their heinous neglect and serve as a deterrent to other nursing home facilities.
Our Lawyers Can Help
If you suspect that a family member is being neglected in their nursing home, the time to act is now. Call or contact the lawyers at Leifer & Ramirez today in Fort Lauderdale to speak with an experienced attorney about your nursing home neglect case.
