Boca Raton Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Thousands of individuals, including the elderly, are abused every year in nursing homes and other care facilities. Whether it is nursing home neglect, emotional nursing home abuse or physical abuse, you need an advocate that protects the rights for you or your loved ones, contact our experienced Boca Raton nursing home abuse lawyers today.
Inadequate Nursing Homes are Everywhere
More than 1.5 million Americans are now residents in nursing homes. These individuals are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and grandparents. Nursing homes provide care that loved ones cannot get at home, and they are trusted to provide the services and level of care that you pay them for.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone. With the high demand for long-term nursing care, more facilities are popping up to meet the demands, and these facilities lack the financial backing, training, and even qualified professionals. All of this leaves your loved one with substandard care and even serious injuries or an increased risk of death.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse is not just physical—nor is it always intentional. Sometimes simple negligence can be constituted as abuse. Because individuals who own and operate these facilities are expected to provide a higher level of care, anything sub-standard is considered negligent.
Some of the more common types of nursing home abuse include:
- Bedsores
- Physical Abuse
- Mental Abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Wandering
- Use of Restraints
- Slip and Fall Injuries
- Sexual Abuse
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Medication Errors
- Financial Abuse
The Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
Unfortunately, most victims of nursing home abuse cannot speak for themselves. Some are too incapacitated or suffer from dementia and do not realize the abuse they are receiving.
In order to stop the nursing home abuse, you need to know the common signs of abuse, which include:
- Staff refusing to allow visitors or they delay visitors when they do come to see their loved ones;
- Bloody, stained or soiled clothing;
- Unexplained or frequent injuries that include bruises, cuts, broken bones or burns;
- Staff doesn’t allow any visitors to be alone with their loved one;
- There are frequent arguments between the staff and resident;
- Signs of poor hygiene;
- Bedsores;
- Weakness or unexplained weight loss;
- Changes in mood – such as being suddenly depressed or suffering from anxiety;
- Soiled bedding;
- Unmaintained appearance;
- Over-medicating or under-medicating;
- Constant thirst, dry skin or other signs of dehydration;
- Sudden fear of being left alone;
Sometimes a loved one will outright complain about potential abuse, but their loved ones may dismiss it. If your nursing home resident complains, take those complaints seriously and have them investigated.
Filing Your Lawsuit
If you do know that your loved one suffered from nursing home abuse, you need to take the next step and start legal action. Not only is that nursing home criminally responsible, and can face criminal charges, but you can hold them liable in civil court as well.
The next steps to file your claim and protect your loved one include:
- Reporting the abuse. You don’t have to have evidence or any proof to report it to the local authorities. Instead, they can investigate and reporting it to management makes them aware that they have an abuser on their staff.
- Discuss other options for care with family. This may mean moving your loved one back home or finding a different facility.
- Contact an attorney. An attorney can advise you on your rights, offer insight, and file a civil lawsuit for any medical costs, pain, and suffering or even funeral costs associated with a wrongful death because of nursing home abuse.
Our Boca Raton Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Can Help You
If you or a loved one is the victim of Florida Elder Abuse, you need a Boca Raton nursing home abuse lawyers to help you seek justice. The lawyers at Leifer & Ramirez have years of experience helping nursing home abuse victims get the compensation they deserve and we can help you too. Contact us today to schedule a free, no obligation case evaluation with one of our lawyers now.
