Did you know that it is the legal responsibility of nursing home caregivers to treat their elderly residents with a certain level of care and respect? It may seem outlandish that this obvious rule of conduct has to make its way into the legal system, but due to poor hiring practices and a “profits-over-people mentality,” this has unfortunately become a necessity.
The sad truth of the matter is that our nursing abuse attorneys have salvaged tens of millions of dollars for victims of this type of abuse. Families throughout St. Louis County, Missouri, trust us to bring their case to justice. So it’s important to know the ways in which nursing home abuse can manifest.
Neglect
The purpose of a nursing home is to provide the elderly with the care they can no longer provide for themselves. It is pertinent, therefore, that they live in clean and healthy environments. Failure to offer residents this minimum requirement of care is a legal violation and grounds for a lawsuit.
One of the main responsibilities of a nursing home is to provide quality food service. If they fail to do so, their residents may suffer from malnutrition—especially those who have a health condition that hinders their ability to retain or digest food properly. The caretaker would be aware of such disabilities, and if he or she neglects to administer the proper meal, the result could be fatal.
Signs of malnutrition include:
- Confusion or irritability
- Decreased immune system strength
- Muscle weakness
- Pneumonia
- Falling or loss of mobility
- Increased risk of bedsores
Nutrition is extremely important for the elderly to remain
healthy and fight off infection. Failure to provide your loved one with the necessary nourishment puts him or her at serious risk.
Neglect can also show itself in the form of pressure ulcers, often referred to as pressure sores or bed sores. Be on the lookout for these open wounds that create a considerable area of dead or blackened skin and contract a serious infection. Homes that do not prevent and treat these wounds can threaten your loved one’s well-being.
Don’t let this happen to someone you love. If you suspect neglect, call our St. Louis County nursing home abuse attorneys at 314-646-0300, or live chat with our team in order to be matched with the best lawyer for your case.
Physical Abuse
The human body is a fragile structure; similar to young children, the elderly suffer more due to minor acts of force. Unlike youngsters, however, the pain often manifests in long-lasting injuries, such as broken bones, cuts, bruises, brain damage, and an assortment of other visible and internal wounds.
In some cases, an employee may hit or choke a resident, which could easily lead to his or her death. More commonly, little outbursts, like pushing, could require immediate medical attention. Human cruelty such as this is a serious violation of both human rights and the law. You should never have to suffer at the hands of an abuser.
Psychological Abuse
Many elderly citizens end up in a nursing home because they are unable to take care of themselves mentally. Perhaps they were having difficulty remembering simple, yet necessary, tasks. No matter the reason for admittance into a nursing home, it is the responsibility and moral obligation of the caretaker to provide your loved one with the necessary attention so that he or she can function comfortably, day by day.
It is not hard to imagine employees getting frustrated with the necessary tasks they must perform for their residents. That irritation could gain momentum and be taken out on your innocent family member.
Whether this is negligence or outright cruelty, the personal injury lawyers of Finney Law Office, LLC can help. Call 314-646-0300 if you suspect the following to have taken place:
Humiliation
More often than not, caregivers and residents have a good relationship. This relationship is often grounded in the security the residents feel in their own privacy. The caregivers help their tenants with everyday needs and therefore know the most about them; this is a relationship built off of trust since the caregiver is a person in power. Humiliating your elderly family member leaves him or her feeling threatened and often too afraid to report the worker.
The caregiver is not always the problem; other residents can attribute to your loved one’s humiliation. This type of abuse is harder to decipher, so look for signs of depression, anxiety, confusion, embarrassment, a development of destructive behavior, or emotional trauma.
Isolation
In order for most people to maintain both mental and emotional stability, a certain level of social interaction must be reached each day. It is, then, easy to understand how isolation can affect mental and physical health. These effects can include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Nutritional imbalance
- Increased anxiety and loneliness
- Emotional or psychological trauma
- Delayed treatment of injuries due to the absence of a capable responder
Isolation is one of the most horrific punishments a person can suffer. It is often used to discipline prisoners. It is a very severe injustice to be abused in such a way. The effects of this cruelty can be long lasting, damaging, and dangerous. If you wish to explore the legal options available to yourself or your loved one, do not hesitate to call today.
Verbal Abuse
Like any other worker, caregivers have personal lives that could get in the way of their attitude towards their residents. If this escalates into verbal aggression, your elderly loved one may not feel safe in their home. Types of verbal mistreatment that could be grounds for a lawsuit include: intimidation, threats, harassment, harmful deceit and humiliating comments. This psychological trauma makes the sufferer eligible to pursue compensation.
Sexual Abuse
Safety is the number one priority. As soon as the nursing home your loved one resides in stops providing this basic human necessity, you have the right to pursue legal action and be eligible for compensation. If a worker sexually abuses one of the community’s residents, do not let your loved one suffer in silence.
It goes without saying that sexual abuse leads to major physical and psychological trauma. The victim may live each day in fear and extreme stress. Sexual abuse can manifest in rape, sexual assault, and even threats of sexual abuse. Don’t let the perpetrator of such a heinous crime get away with it.
Theft and Fraud
Improper treatment of senior citizens is not limited to physical and psychological maltreatment. Often times, caretakers exploit their residents by way of stealing and even defrauding them out of their personal property.
Though it is not uncommon for the elderly to give up some freedoms in order to live in certain communities, they do not lose the right to possess their own property. There is no legal excuse for a nursing home worker to acquire the belongings of a resident. Residents are vulnerable to their caretakers, and it is a disgusting practice to exploit people in this position. Be on the look out for these types of theft and fraud:
- Stealing property out of the resident’s room
- Confiscating allowed property
- Stealing credit cards and personal identification
- Defrauding residents out of savings
- Defrauding residents through insurance or healthcare scams
If you notice any of this behavior, contact the St. Louis County nursing home abuse attorneys.
Here at Finney Law Office, LLC, we go to great lengths to ensure our clients are well informed of their rights and in contact with the best lawyer for the case. We offer free live chat on our website with a live chat support team who connects people with the most appropriate attorney for their individual situations. We resolve cases throughout St. Louis County, Missouri.
Often times, along with personal trauma, victims suffer injuries at the hands of their offenders that result in superfluous medical expenses they need not pay any longer. There is compensation available for your medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages, and, most importantly, your pain and suffering. It is worth pursuing.
You deserve justice, and our knowledgeable and dedicated lawyers can help you achieve it. Call us for a free consultation to find out how we can help you. The victim should never be the one to pay.