Nursing Home Lawyer Hyattsville MD
If you have a loved one who was abused while in the care of a nursing home, you have every right to hire a nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD families choose to help them seek justice. Our attorneys at Cohen & Cohen have fought for the rights of victims for the last two decades. We have helped thousands of personal injury victims and have recovered compensatory damages for over a million dollars.
According to a survey of nursing home residents, nearly 44 percent reported having been abused at some point while in the care of a nursing home, and almost 95 percent reported witnessing neglectful care of another elder. A Hyattsville MD nursing home lawyer may be able to recover damages on behalf of the family, but it can be very helpful knowing what to look for in choosing a safe nursing home in the first place.
10 Tips for Finding a Safe Nursing Home for Your Loved One
A nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD provides may be able to help you get justice for your loved one after suffering abuse, but you will likely want to relocate the elder to a safe and comfortable facility. Whether your loved one needs to be relocated or your family is considering first time nursing home options, these tips may help you make the best choice possible.
- Select a nursing home in close proximity to the family. This will make it easier for family members to pop in unannounced, which can help make sure the staff are always meeting their required standard of care. Regular visits are beneficial for the elder’s mindset, and they’ll also make it easier to detect problems in the beginning stages. Early detection of abuse or neglect can be critically important.
- Consider all options — in addition to nursing homes, discuss the possibility of entering your family member in an assisted living facility.There are a range of assisted living facilities which offer different levels of care. Depending on the needs of the elder they may require more or less help than another. The Eldercare Locator can provide you with a list of long term care facilities based on location. Call their hotline at 1-800-677-1116 to find out more.
- Seek referrals. Check online ratings for any health care facilities you’re considering. Ask family and friends if they have any recommendations. If you’ve hired a nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD clients trust to pursue litigation against your elder’s nursing home for abuse, ask him or her to recommend an alternative facility.
- Talk to your local Ombudsman or Citizen Advocacy Group representative. The members of Citizen Advocacy Groups are people who advocate for the rights, services, quality of life, and benefits of elders and others who rely on long term healthcare facilities and programs. To find your state’s LongTerm Care Ombudsman, go to The National Consumer Voice of Quality Long-Term Care website and click the link “State Ombudsmen,” or you can call them at 202-332-2275. A nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD is proud to call their own might emphasize the importance of performing as much research as possible when choosing a health care facility.
- Use the Nursing Home Compare website to make online comparisons between healthcare facilities. This is a Medicare resource which you can access on the medicare website. After entering your search criteria, you’ll be able to compare the ratings of facilities based on overall rating, health inspections, staffing, penalties, and quality measures.
- Make a checklist and take notes on every facility that you visit or are considering. Medicare offers a free checklist that you can download or print from their website. Take the checklist with you when you visit the health care facilities. If you have particular legal concerns, discuss them with a nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD personal injury victims rate highly for knowledge and experience.
- Verify that the nursing home is adequately staffed. The Nursing Home Compare website makes it easy to compare staff numbers between facilities, but when visiting the homes, perform your own comparison. As much as possible, visit prospective facilities unannounced, so that you’re more likely to get a realistic impression of how they operate on a daily basis. Make note of the following:
- Do the staff members seem overwhelmed, stressed, or constantly hurried? Is there an air of tension or feeling of chaos amongst the staff?
- Are residents wandering around looking for someone to help them?
- Are the facility’s hallways, rooms, and common areas well kept?
- Inquire how many registered nurses are on staff, how many are on shift at any one time, and the overall ratio of nurses to patients. Compare those numbers between nursing home facilities.
- If your elder family member is up for visiting the facilities with you, take them along to get their impression of what may become their future home.
- As much as possible, interact with other families visiting the facility whose loved ones are residents. Ask how long the elder family member has been there and how satisfied the elder family member and family is with the care given at that facility. Don’t be shy about asking the facility for references from current resident’s family members. If it’s a reputable facility with nothing to hide, they should be able to provide you with this information. If your family member has special needs, request to speak with a family whose loved one has similar needs. This can help you determine how well your elder family member will be accommodated.
- Confirm that the facility’s cost is within your budget or else accepts Medicaid/Medicare. Medicaid covers nursing home care costs for those who qualify. Medicare pays for short-term post-hospital rehabilitation and hospice costs. A nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD families rely on for legal advice might suggest that you get the nursing home’s fee schedule and payment options in writing.
- Research whether anyone has lodged any complaints of abuse or neglect against the health care facility.
- Check for verified or substantiated complaints on the Nursing Home Compare website.
- Contact the state’s survey and inspection agency.
- Check with the long term care ombudsman program.
- Perform an online search to see if a nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD victims turn to for legal assistance has been featured in any news stories about the facility.
- Purchase a report from the Member of the Family website.
Your Choice for a Nursing Home Lawyer in Hyattsville MD
At Cohen & Cohen we have more than 20 years of experience helping people who have been mistreated or injured. A nursing home lawyer Hyattsville MD citizens turn to for justice may be able to help you protect your loved one from nursing home abuse and receive fair compensation; call us today for a free initial consultation.
