According to the National Library of Medicine, approximately 10% of individuals over 65 suffer from abuse. The rate of abuse increases in a nursing home setting. We realize how distressing it can be to learn that your loved one has suffered abuse in a nursing home. It should be a place where you can rest assured that the staff will watch over and care for their patients. Nevertheless, our lawyers are here for you if your loved one has experienced abuse.
Contact a nursing home abuse attorney in Parrish, FL, at James Horne Law PA, today to learn more.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
In a nursing home setting, the elderly and other residents are, unfortunately, extremely vulnerable. There is a possibility that abuse or neglect will occur, no matter how careful you are as a family member to protect your loved one.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), elder abuse is an act or lack of action in any relationship where an older person experiences harm or distress. Combined with this is an expectation of trust on the part of the elderly individual.
Nursing home abuse differs from neglect and consists of several types, noted here.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is an intentional act that causes a person harm. Signs of elder physical abuse include:
- Scalding burns,
- Abrasions,
- Dislocated joints, and
- Wrap-around bruises.
It is essential to check on your loved one frequently and look for these indicators of mistreatment.
Emotional Abuse
Mental or emotional abuse may be harder to notice when visiting a loved one, but it is still abuse. Verbal abuse is either spoken or nonverbal. This can involve:
- Yelling at the patient,
- Mocking a resident’s disabilities,
- Ignoring the resident’s concerns, or
- Limiting their access to food and water.
Check on your family member to see if they have withdrawn from certain activities or have had a sudden personality change. If this is the case, they may be experiencing emotional abuse.
Financial Abuse
Financial exploitation is another form of abuse that can take place in a nursing home. It refers to when someone steals money or other valuables from an elderly individual. Some kinds of financial abuse include:
- Forgery of signature, and
- Improper use of power of attorney.
There are ways you can check in on a resident to determine whether someone is abusing them. Some signs of financial exploitation are:
- Unauthorized withdrawal of funds using the patient’s ATM card, and
- Sudden changes in the older adult’s will or other documents.
Get in touch with a nursing home abuse attorney in Parrish, FL, if your loved one has suffered from abuse. We can assist you in getting started filing your claim today.
Common Causes of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse can result due to several potential factors. Some typical causes of nursing home abuse are below.
Inadequately Trained Employees
If the nursing home does not adequately train employees, this can have significant consequences for patients. Inadequate training may result in employees:
- Not understanding how to perform CPR,
- Not changing the patient’s clothes, or
- Incorrectly administering medication.
These are only a few illustrations of the consequences of improper training. If you feel your loved one has suffered abuse, contact a Parrish nursing home abuse lawyer today. We can investigate further and help you recover the compensation that you need.
Understaffing
Having a shortage of staff is a common cause of nursing home abuse. Understaffing can lead to errors in caregiving, for example. If a nursing home lacks enough staff, residents may suffer from the following:
- Bedsores,
- Malnutrition, and
- Dehydration.
Sometimes, understaffing in a nursing home is not intentional. It may be because of the over-scheduling of available staff members due to a high turnover rate. But it may also be deliberate, such as when an owner purposefully understaffs a nursing home to minimize labor costs.
Reach out to our accomplished attorneys if you have any questions or concerns. At James Horne Law, we are ready to fight for you.
Substance Abuse on the Job
While most employees work hard to care for residents, some cause their patients to suffer due to substance abuse. This is a genuine problem at many healthcare facilities. According to a Journal of Nursing Regulation study, nurses working in nursing homes had one of the highest prescription-type drug misuse rates.
Being under the influence of drugs can cause a nurse to become disengaged or react slower. They are much less likely to provide the appropriate level of care when addicted, and this can be extremely dangerous. Nurses may become hostile towards residents or physically abuse residents due to the effects of drug abuse.
Potentially Liable Parties
There could be more than one party that might be responsible for your family member’s injuries. Determining which parties are liable can be complex, but our talented attorneys are here to help.
The Nursing Home
The nursing home may share some responsibility for the abuse of your loved one. One example is if the nursing home practiced negligent hiring practices. If an employee that the nursing home negligently hired abuses a resident, the facility could be liable. The nursing home can also be responsible for negligent training of their staff.
Nurses and Caregivers
Nursing home staff have a duty of care toward their patients. When it comes to nurses, for example, they must act as reasonable, ordinary, prudent nurses. If nurses and caregivers breach that duty to their patients, they could be responsible for negligence. Get in touch with our attorneys at James Horne Law for further guidance. We can help determine other potentially liable parties as well.
How Our Attorneys Can Assist You
Our lawyers understand how hard it can be to realize that your family member has experienced nursing home abuse. We cannot reverse what has happened to your loved one, but we are here to fight for you. At James Horne Law, a Parrish nursing home abuse attorney can help you recover the compensation your loved one deserves.
Furthermore, our attorney James Horne is ready to go to court for you and thrives in the courtroom. He completed the Advanced International Advocacy Course at the University of Oxford in England and has been recognized by Superlawyers.
Our lawyers believe in complete transparency with our clients. We are upfront and will let you know whether we think you have a case. There is no cost to you unless we win. Contact us today for a consultation at 941-210-6000.