No one wants to imagine that the trained and supposedly considerate professionals caring for elderly nursing home residents would ever unintentionally neglect or abuse their patients. Unfortunately, this mistreatment happens in nursing homes and assisted living facilities all across the state.
When you have any suspicion that a loved one is being neglected or abused by people entrusted with their around-the-clock care, you should contact a Reading nursing home abuse lawyer to discuss your legal options. It may fall to you to ensure your family member is protected from future harm and reimbursed for the harm they have already experienced, and a skilled personal injury attorney’s help could prove vital to accomplishing both of those things effectively.
Intentional abuse of nursing home residents can take many forms and cause many different types of harm to the vulnerable elderly people subjected to it. On top of physical abuse, like slapping, kicking, punching, or excessive use of restraints, poorly vetted nursing home staff members may engage in verbal abuse of residents, deny residents basic necessities like food or proper medical care, isolate residents from friends and family members, or even exploit residents sexually or financially.
Inadvertent neglect of nursing home residents may not be malicious in nature, but it can be harmful and potentially life-threatening if allowed to continue for weeks or months at a time. Understaffed and overworked employees of a poorly run nursing home may fail to change a resident’s bed linens or clothing, not ensure they get proper nutrition and hydration, allow falls and other preventable accidents to happen more frequently, or let residents with intellectual disabilities wander into harm’s way due to lack of supervision. A lawyer in Reading could determine the cause of nursing home abuse and hold those at fault accountable.
Unfortunately, even intentional mistreatment of nursing home residents can be difficult for loved ones to notice because it may not produce many obvious symptoms, and residents may be unwilling or unable to talk about what they are going through. It can be important for family members to know the common signs of neglect and abuse inside nursing homes, such as:
An attorney in Reading could review possible indicators of nursing home mistreatment and offer guidance about potential next steps during a private consultation.
When a nursing home resident suffers any kind of physical injury as a direct result of neglect or abuse, they—or family members taking action on their behalf—could file suit against any person involved in mistreating them as well as the facility where the abuse occurred. Both economic and non-economic losses may be compensable through a successful claim—for example, the costs of medical care necessary to treat injuries caused by abuse, as well as physical pain and suffering caused by those injuries. Each situation and person is unique. A family should discuss specific injuries and losses with a seasoned lawyer in Reading before trying to pursue a nursing home abuse claim alone.
No one deserves to be abused or neglected by someone who is supposed to be caring for them, especially elderly people dealing with serious physical or cognitive limitations. Anyone who mistreats a nursing home or assisted living facility resident should be held accountable for the consequences of their actions.
A Reading nursing home abuse lawyer could provide the custom-tailored support you need to protect your family now and well into the future. Call today to schedule a meeting and learn more about your legal options.