Venice Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Deciding to place a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility is one of the most difficult decisions that many of us will have to make, although doing so is often the best way to ensure that a beloved relative receives the care they need. Unfortunately, many nursing homes do not deserve the trust that residents and their families place in them and may actually cause much more harm than good. When this type of conduct reaches the level of abuse, affected residents have the right to obtain compensation from the at-fault facility for medical bills, housing costs, and pain and suffering.
Filing these types of claims does, however, tend to be difficult, especially when the victim is in particularly ill health or is suffering from cognitive problems, so if you believe that your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse and you have reached out to the proper authorities, it is important to contact an experienced Venice nursing home abuse attorney who can help give your claim the best possible chance of success.
TYPES OF NURSING HOME ABUSE
There are many types of nursing home abuse. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nursing home abuse usually takes one of five different forms, including:
- Physical abuse and violence, such as hitting, slapping, or pushing;
- Financial abuse, which often involves the stealing of funds from a resident’s account, the use of a credit card without permission, and even the theft of personal possessions;
- Sexual abuse, which includes not only unwanted sexual interaction, but also sexual harassment;
- Neglect, which involves a failure to provide a resident with adequate food and water, shelter, clothing, or essential medical care; and
- Emotional or psychological abuse, which often takes the form of verbal abuse, forced isolation, acts of humiliation, and the destruction of a resident’s personal property.
Evidence of this kind of abuse isn’t always obvious. For instance, while proof of physical abuse may be revealed through unexplained and repeated injuries, evidence of emotional abuse is much more difficult to identify. There are, however, a few different signs of nursing home abuse that the relatives of nursing home residents should keep in mind when visiting a loved one.
SIGNS OF NURSING HOME ABUSE
Besides unexplained injuries, which are often indicative of physical abuse, a change in a resident’s personality, withdrawal, or fear of physical contact are often evidence of a resident’s abuse at the hands of a nursing home employee. Relatives should also remain vigilant for the following signs, which could also indicate that a resident is suffering from another type of nursing home abuse;
- Symptoms of malnutrition, including unexplained weight loss;
- Soiled bedding and generally poor personal hygiene;
- Untreated medical conditions;
- Irregularities with medication;
- Unexplained incontinence;
- Marks indicating the use of restraints;
- Bedsores; and
- Torn or dirty clothing.
Evidence of this kind of nursing home abuse can be used to hold a nursing home facility, its administrators, or its employees liable for the victim’s physical injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
GET LEGAL HELP TODAY
Nursing homes that use their power over residents to abuse or neglect them can and should be held liable for their actions. Please call 1-800-800-1414 to set up a free consultation with a member of the Hale Law legal team today.