If a nursing home isn’t meeting its duty to provide a reasonable level of care, you may be able to file a lawsuit for injuries suffered.
When you make the difficult decision to put a loved one into a nursing home or a skilled care facility, you expect that they will receive high quality care — or at least not suffer injuries or abuse. And yet a shocking number of residents of nursing home are hurt every year in nursing homes, many times due to abuse or neglect.
If you have a parent, grandparent, friend or other relative in a nursing home, you should be aware of their condition and the type of care that they are getting. Vigilance can help to prevent many types of injuries due to both abuse and neglect — but sometimes, despite our best intentions, our loved ones may still be hurt. In that situation, it may be possible to sue the facility that was negligent in caring for your friend or relative.
Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Homes
When an elderly or otherwise disabled person is hurt in a nursing home, skilled care facility or an assisted living home, you must consider the possibility that their injuries are a result of either abuse or neglect.
Abuse occurs when someone — often a caregiver — intentionally harms a patient. Elder abuse can take many forms, from physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or even financial abuse. If someone that you love has been abused in a nursing home, then you may be able to file a lawsuit against the person that hurt them and the facility itself for the harm that was suffered. It is also possible that a prosecutor will bring criminal charges for the abuse.
While neglect is another form of abuse, it does not typically involve anyone trying to intentionally hurt a patient. Instead, it is when a caregiver or facility fails to meet its obligation to properly care for a patient. This could include failing to properly bathe a patient, to make sure that their bathroom needs are met, to give them their medication appropriately, to ensure that they are eating and getting enough fluids, or any number of other issues. Neglect can either be passive — when a person forgets to do something — or active, when a person actively chooses to not perform their duties. If a person is injured due to neglect at a nursing home or skilled care facility, it may be possible to file a lawsuit against both the employee and/or his employer.
One of the challenges in cases involving the elderly is that they may not be able to tell others or accurately describe what has happened to them. This is why it is crucial for family members and loved ones to keep a close watch on patients who are in any type of nursing home. Visit often—at unpredictable times. Watch for unexplained bruises or any signs that your loved one’s basic hygiene needs are being met. Talk to your family member or friend, and be on the look our for anything that seems out of the ordinary with their behavior or mood. By being proactive, you may prevent your loved one from suffering from abuse or neglect.
If someone that you love has been injured at a nursing home due to negligence, abuse, or neglect, then you may be able to recover compensation for their injuries. Contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to schedule a free initial consultation and learn more about how we can help.
