Nursing homes can be a reasonable option for seniors who cannot live with family members yet may not be able to live on their own. Nursing homes vary in quality, though, and your loved one’s nursing home might not be as safe as you hoped it would be.
If you suspect that an injury your loved one sustained in a nursing home could be the result of mistreatment, a Boca Raton nursing home injury lawyer may be able to help you pursue compensation. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation about your case.
Nursing Home Mistreatment Is a Real Problem
Several problems may qualify as or directly contribute to your loved one’s mistreatment in a nursing home. Those problems include:
- Understaffing, which the journal Health Services Insights (HSI)
notes could be a product of dangerously low minimum staffing standards
- Failing to vet nursing home staff members for indicators of whether they could be a danger to residents
- Failing to maintain clear systems of care
- Failing to monitor staffers on a regular basis
- Failing to discipline staffers who do not display adequate care for your loved one and other residents
- Allowing residents’ mistreatment of your loved one to go unreported
- Failing to maintain proper medical equipment on-site
- Failing to maintain functioning alarms on all nursing home exits
- Failing to ensure that your loved one is protected and properly cared for at all times
A nursing home may contain many moving parts, and the possibility that your loved one’s care has slipped through the cracks is one that you must consider. If you see signs that your loved one’s health has been compromised, you may be able to file a lawsuit.
Warning Signs of Nursing Home Mistreatment
Signs of neglect, abuse, and other types of mistreatment could slip by you as signs of aging, so being able to recognize specific symptoms of mistreatment is important. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) notes that possible indicators of mistreatment vary, depending on the nature of the mistreatment. Some general causes for concern are:
- Changes in your loved one’s grooming, including a generally messy appearance
- Signs that your loved one is not sleeping well
- Signs of physical injury, such as cuts, bruises, and burns
- Concerning changes in your loved one’s personality, such as withdrawal or unexplained outbursts
- Symptoms of anxiety or other psychological disorders
- Changes to your loved one’s finances or valuables that they cannot explain
- Apparent fear towards specific caregivers
- Unchanged bedpans
- The presence of bedsores
If you are familiar with your loved one’s personality, you may be able to sense when something is amiss. If you suspect that mistreatment, whether passive or active, could be the source of concerning changes in your loved one, you can call our law firm for a Boca Raton nursing home injury lawyer.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation about how we can assist your loved one.
Nursing Homes May Be Liable for Mistreatment
If your loved one was harmed in a nursing home, that institution could be held liable for the neglect and/or abuse your loved one experienced. Parties who could be named as defendants in a nursing home-related lawsuit may include:
- Owners of the nursing home
- Administrators overseeing nursing home operations
- Specific staffers whose failures or overt mistreatment have affected your loved one
- Individual residents who have mistreated your loved one
A lawyer can help you assign liability for any mistreatment that your loved one endured. Once you determine who is responsible for your loved one receiving substandard care, your lawyer can proceed with your lawsuit.
A Lawyer Can Handle Your Lawsuit from Start to Finish
A lawyer can handle your lawsuit and communicate with you and your loved one throughout the legal process. They can defend your rights, provide guidance about legal matters, and answer questions that you have about your lawsuit.
Some of the specific tasks that your lawyer may complete are:
- Gathering evidence that proves your loved one was mistreated
- Documenting your loved one’s injuries and other signs of mistreatment
- Determining the value of your loved one’s damages
- Consulting experts to testify for your loved one
- Filing your loved one’s lawsuit
- Making appearances, filing documents, and taking all other steps necessary to complete your loved one’s lawsuit
- Negotiating a settlement
- Completing a trial when necessary
A lawyer can take the responsibility of pursuing compensation out of your hands while aiming to protect your loved one from suffering any more harm than they already have.
If your lawyer is successful in negotiating a settlement or winning compensation in a trial, your loved one may be able to collect multiple forms of compensation. Awards may include coverage for:
- The cost of your loved one’s time at the nursing home where they were mistreated
- Pain and suffering that your loved one endured
- Medical costs related to their mistreatment
A lawyer will advocate for compensation for the harm done to your loved one.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today to Get Started on Your Case
Your loved one is entitled to receiving respect and care. If a nursing home failed to protect your loved one from harm, they should be held liable for the damage they caused your loved one to endure. A Boca Raton nursing home injury lawyer can help you pursue compensation that your loved one is owed for their hardship.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for details about how we can provide the responsive legal care that your loved one needs.
We Can Help.
