Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

November 11th, 2019

If your loved one lives in a nursing home, you may worry about their health and well-being. It can be difficult to trust doctors with the lives of family members for treatments and procedures—let alone trust strangers to care for a loved one 24/7. While most nursing homes provide residents with excellent care and attention, some knowingly or unknowingly put residents’ health and even their lives in danger because they focus on profits over safety.

Nursing homes are supposed to be safe places for elderly residents and residents with serious health problems that need frequent treatment and constant monitoring. But because nursing homes are a big business that make a lot of profit off their residents, some operate with a desire to make more money by keeping expenses down rather than making sure they provide adequate care. That means they may hire underqualified employees, or they may fail to hire enough staff members to give all residents the care they need.

When nursing homes aren’t adequately staffed, residents may be abused and neglected. And when that happens, those nursing homes should be held accountable. At Dudley DeBosier, our Louisiana nursing home abuse attorneys have helped many families get compensation after their loved ones’ rights were violated in nursing homes, and we know what it takes to build strong claims that get results.

How to Recognize Abuse and Neglect

Nursing home residents are vulnerable to mistreatment, especially elderly residents and residents with serious health problems that affect their cognitive abilities or their mobility. However, all nursing home residents are at risk of different types of abuse including:

  • Physical abuse—This type of abuse occurs when residents are physically harmed by staff members or even other residents. It may involve punching, pushing, shoving, kicking, biting, or other types of violent contact. Physically abused residents may bear bruises, cuts, scars, and even broken bones.
  • Sexual abuse—This type of abuse involves residents being sexually harassed, assaulted, groped, or raped by others in their nursing homes. Symptoms of sexual abuse include bruising or bleeding in and around the genital area, infections, and sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Emotional and mental abuse—This type of abuse involves residents being harmed psychologically. Residents who are victims of this type of abuse may be screamed at, humiliated, degraded, harassed, insulted, or made to feel unwanted and unwelcome in their home.
  • Financial abuse—This type of abuse involves residents being taken advantage of financially by staff members or other residents. It can include being victims of theft, fraud, or coercion, and it may involve personal property, assets, or even the modification of living wills.

Neglect can take on a different form than abuse. However, it can be just as devastating and harmful to residents. Types of neglect include:

  • Deprivation of living necessities—Everyone requires food, water, clothing, shelter, bedding, and the ability to practice personal hygiene to be happy and healthy. Residents who are deprived of these essentials may suffer physically and psychologically, and they may even be at risk of serious health problems.
  • Abandonment—Many nursing home residents require constant assistance and supervision. When they’re left on their own, they may be unable to care for themselves. Residents who are left alone for long periods of time, whether it’s in their rooms, in common areas, or in public places, are victims of abandonment.

If you suspect that your loved one is being mistreated at their nursing home, it’s important to be on the lookout for signs or symptoms that can be used as evidence in an abuse claim. However, not all cases of abuse and neglect are obvious. Playing an active role in your loved one’s care can help you quickly spot when something isn’t right—and allow you to get them help as early as possible.

Get an Experienced Louisiana Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer on Your Side

Accusing a nursing home of abusing or neglecting your loved one is a difficult process—and it can be even more complicated if you try to get compensation. Having a law firm with the resources and experience to take on big nursing homes is often essential for maximizing your chances of getting the money and justice your family deserves after your trust was violated.

At Dudley DeBosier, we know the steps to take to help affected families and their loved ones when they experience nursing home abuse, and that includes compiling evidence that leaves no doubt about what happened or is continuing to happen in the facility. You’re going through enough already—the last thing you need to deal with is the nursing home trying to refute your claims when there’s plenty of evidence that shows what happened.

Contact our firm today and let us start building your claim. We’ll be here to answer your questions and address your concerns every step of the way. That’s the Dudley DeBosier Difference.