Nursing homes should be safe environments for our senior relatives, without question. We should be able to get our beloved parents and grandparents set up in a trustworthy home without any concern at all about their future welfare. The sad truth is that not all nursing homes live up to these standards. There are too many cases of senior citizens suffering at the hands of carers.
Some cases are the result of poor funding or training in a strained system. Others are much more malicious. Either way, where there is a way to prove negligence and direct suffering, there is a chance to make a claim. Here are some of the ways a nursing home abuse lawyer can help.
Deliberate Neglect And Suffering In Nursing Homes
Often, when we think of issues regarding lawsuits and nursing homes, we think of cases of nursing home abuse. These are the harrowing stories of care home residents subjected to horrific treatment at the hands of so-called carers. Nursing home abuse can occur in several ways. Family members who suspect any of the following and can obtain proof should claim via a Michigan nursing home abuse lawyer.
Physical Abuse
One of the most common is physical abuse because there are various forms. Some residents will face direct physical abuse through physical assault and rough treatment. This could involve carers striking residents to keep them submissive or make them carry out tasks. It could also involve the use of restraints. Others will face physical abuse through medical negligence, such as the misuse of medication or treatment options. Then, there’s the impact of poor hygiene on physical health following a lack of personal care.
Emotional Abuse
This is also very common and also harder to prove, which is why some carers think they can get away with it. Emotional abuse can be as simple as demeaning a resident through verbal abuse and ongoing degradation. Some residents are made to feel worthless and unloved. They are yelled at for not complying fast enough or talked down to as though they were children. This ongoing abuse can lead to some serious mental health issues and put a lot of strain on families. As with the physical abuse cases, these situations are often examples of a deliberate abuse of power. The abuser likes to be in control and to feel superior.
Sexual Abuse
This one is the most taboo subject here, simply because we tend not to think about older people in that manner. Yet, too many vulnerable seniors in nursing homes suffer some form of sexual abuse. This could be as simple as a carer touching a resident in an inappropriate place. These acts are non-consensual and deeply scarring. The worst thing about these cases is that they are hard to prove. Even if a resident is brave enough to speak out about what’s happened, that doesn’t mean managers will listen. That’s what nursing home negligence lawyers are for.
Financial Abuse
Finally, there’s a completely different form of abuse that can go unnoticed unless family members spot red flags. Financial abuse of seniors isn’t that uncommon because it’s so easy for people to prey on their kindness or ignorance to extort them. It’s seen with family members acting as carers, who decide to take money from their parents’ savings to pay for expenses without their knowledge. This also happens in nursing homes. Facility managers with access to a resident’s bank account or other finances may find a way to steal money or misuse the funds in some way.
Other Causes Of Neglect And Suffering In Nursing Homes
It’s important to note that lawsuits against nursing homes aren’t just focused on deliberate acts of abuse by individual carers. Many care homes are still guilty of negligence to the point of pain and suffering, even if there was no direct ill intent or malice. For example, the staff at a nursing home may be kind and as attentive as they can be while working in a home with a breach of standards. The issue may be due to a lack of funding or adequate training more than the staff themselves. You can sue a care home for not training staff effectively or not providing the right resources if that level of incompetence leads to pain and suffering. Relatives suffering from feelings of abandonment or poor hygiene due to understaffing are entitled to compensation if they can prove the nursing home was at fault. That leads to the important question of how you create that case.
Do You Have A Case?
The only way to make a case against a nursing home or a specific carer is to prove that they were negligent in a manner that caused direct harm to your loved one. This can be physical harm, such as bruising or injuries from mistreatment, or emotional suffering through anxiety, isolation, or fear. You can also sue if there is direct evidence of a care home taking funds from a family member’s account.
Find as much proof as possible to help top nursing home negligence lawyers make a case. Take photos of injuries where possible. Record conversations with residents or even with care home staff if you are able. Cases of deliberate neglect can be difficult if specific carers are involved and they’re good at covering their tracks. That’s why it helps to gather as much as you can to support your claim. Whatever the situation, the best nursing home negligence lawyers can help. They can work with you to bring all the evidence together and present it in court. They’ll do their best to get you and your loved one the compensation you deserve.
Talk To A Lawyer Today
You might assume that the current situation wouldn’t allow for a lawsuit against a nursing home. Maybe you worry that no one will believe the stories of an elderly man who insists they’ve been abused by a carer. Maybe you feel that it would be too difficult to make a case against a home. The only way to find out is to talk with an expert lawyer and see what they have to say. They will listen to exactly what’s going on, talk through your options, and hopefully get you closer to justice.
