It can be a difficult decision to entrust the care of an elderly loved one to a nursing home. Leaving your family member in the hands of people you don’t know is certainly daunting despite the fact that nursing facilities must uphold certain standards of care outlined at the state and federal levels. Although many nursing facilities competently provide quality care, the unfortunate reality is that some employees or entire facilities fail in their duty to their residents, resulting in injury or death.
If your loved one has been injured in a nursing home or assisted living facility and you suspect that neglect or abuse was a factor, you should immediately contact Richard Schwartz & Associates Injury Lawyers, P.A. to discuss your case with a Mississippi nursing home abuse attorney. You may have a legal right to pursue compensation.
The Consequences of Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse
It is truly despicable to think that the very people in charge of taking care of your loved one can be the same people that cruelly ignore or mistreat them when they are at their most vulnerable. Sadly, abuse and neglect happen more often than many people think, and many instances go unreported because of the victim’s fear of or inability to communicate the abuse.
Injury to a patient falls under the following five categories: physical, emotional, sexual, and financial. Physical abuse could involve things like hitting a patient or roughly restraining them to their beds. Emotional abuse involves disparaging and cruel comments to the patient. Sexual abuse involves forced sexual contact with a patient. Financial abuse may involve manipulating or forcing a patient to transfer access to funds or to change their Last Will and Testament.
If your loved one has suffered any of the following injuries at a nursing facility, bring your concerns to the head of the facility immediately:
- Bedsores
- Unexplained cuts or bruising
- Sudden changes in behavior
- Emotional withdrawal
- Unexplained hospitalizations
- Sudden financial difficulties
- Sudden changes in the elder’s will or power of attorney
If you believe that abuse has occurred, you should consult a Mississippi nursing home abuse lawyer at Richard Schwartz & Associates who can discuss your options and report the abuse to the proper authorities.
What Are the Grounds for Filing a Nursing Home Abuse Claim?
There are a number of grounds for filing a claim against a nursing home. Contact our firm if you believe any of the following may apply to your case:
- Understaffing. A common problem in many nursing facilities, understaffing means that there are less nurses available than are needed to adequately care for all residents. The unfortunate result is that some residents will be neglected and won’t get the attention and care that they are entitled to.
- Inadequate training. Nurses and other nursing home residents who do not have the right training (for example, to properly work with residents who are disobedient, disabled, or memory-impaired) can end up falling short of expected levels or care.
- Negligent hiring. Nursing homes have a duty to hire only qualified individuals to work in their facilities. When they fail to properly screen applicants, including reviewing their backgrounds for any record of violence or abuse, the facility may be held responsible for any misconduct resulting in injury.
- Medication errors. If a resident is not provided with the correct type and dosage of medication, the physician, pharmacist, or pharmacy may be held accountable. Additionally, anyone who purposely overmedicates a patient to chemically subdue them can face legal action.
If you think a loved one has experienced neglect in a nursing home, contact our team today. We can help.
