Washington DC Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse Attorney Services
Injuries that result from neglect and abuse in nursing homes is not a topic that people want to think about, especially when those injuries result in having to get a nursing home abuse attorney involved. Most people, at some point in their lives, face the incredibly difficult decision of whether or not to place an elderly family member in a nursing home. It is an incredibly emotional choice, both for the senior being placed in the nursing home and for the senior’s family. Although nursing homes are expensive, many decide it is the best option for an elderly family member to receive assistance with their daily tasks, housekeeping and health care, as well as access to a social environment, food services, and medical resources. Few think that their loved ones’ safety is going to be jeopardized when placed in the care of nursing home professionals, or that they will need the Washington DC injury lawyers of Cohen & Cohen to represent their elderly family member against the neglect and abuse they faced while residing in the nursing facility.
The National Center on Elder Abuse reported that 3.2 million people resided in nursing homes in 2008. That number has since grown as the baby boomer generation ages. To the shock and horror of people with an elderly family member residing in a nursing home, the report also shows that 1 in 3 people residing in a nursing home are abused or neglected. Neglect is the most common form of abuse at nursing homes. Neglect can be intentional or unintentional and results when the caretaker fails to make sure the resident’s needs are met. Nursing home neglect many times results in bed sores when bed-ridden residents are not regularly repositioned and properly cleaned. Bed sores are incredibly painful, and if they’re not caught and treated can result in life threatening skin infections. Neglect is sometimes the result of underpaid and undertrained employees who have little motivation and desire to properly care for their patients. In fact, the National Center on Elder Abuse reports that 91% of nursing homes lack adequate staff to properly care for patients. Nursing home abuse can also be physical, emotional, and sexual. The worst injuries are suffered by those residents who can no longer communicate their own needs.
The type of neglect and abuse that occurs in Washington DC nursing homes would have serious consequences even for healthy individuals, and many nursing home patients are far from healthy to begin with. As part of the care they offer, nursing homes have a duty to treat their residents’ underlying health conditions. When the nursing home is no longer capable of providing adequate treatment on site, they have a duty to take the resident to a medical facility that can give them the treatment they require. All too often financial concerns influence patient care decisions, and the result is treatable conditions snowball into life-threatening illnesses.
At Cohen & Cohen, our nursing home neglect lawyers have years of experience handling nursing home neglect and elder abuse cases in Washington, DC. We have handled cases involving catastrophic injury, permanent injury, and even death that resulted from nursing home negligence. Most often, nursing homes provide excellent care. But on those occasions when they do not, our lawyers hold nursing homes accountable for the pain, humiliation, and injuries they may cause through their negligence. If you or your loved one has suffered from the negligence of a nursing home or other similar facility in Washington, DC, call the elder abuse attorneys at Cohen & Cohen today.
Nursing home abuse law firm Washington DC
If a loved one has been subjected to nursing home abuse, you may find it beneficial to get a nursing home abuse law firm Washington DC residents recommend on your side as soon as possible. No one should should ever have to suffer from abuse but it can feel especially awful to know that someone who cannot fight back and who may not be able to speak for themselves, would suffer these atrocities at the hands of paid caregivers.
If you know or suspect that someone you love is suffering from abuse, contact the dedicated team at Cohen & Cohen Our law firm has been protecting injured people for over 30 years. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we may be able to start protecting your loved one and your family’s rights. Someone is available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A member of our compassionate legal team is ready to discuss your situation and to give you a free case evaluation.
When a family member suspects that a loved one in a nursing home is not being appropriately cared for, it is important to get him or her out of the abusive situation as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this is not usually as easy as a family member going to pick their loved one up. People in nursing homes are there because they cannot take care of themselves. While someone does not need to be incapacitated to need to reside in a nursing home, typically, patients in nursing homes are unable to perform basic, daily tasks such as preparing food and feeding themselves, bathing, and taking medications, etc. Unless a family has a place to take their abused loved one too where they can get this kind of care, they usually cannot remove their loved one from the abusive environment of the nursing home. This is devastating and is one of the many reasons people who have been in situations similar to yours have found it helpful to have an experienced law firm on their side. The experienced personal injury lawyers Washington DC relies on will be able to help you to recognize signs of abuse and will be able to start building a strong case to try to protect your loved.
At the first signs a loved one is being abused, contact a nursing home abuse law firm Washington DC is fortunate to have in its midst. A nursing home abuse victim and their family may be entitled to compensation for the victim’s injuries and other costs that are related to being abused. Some cases of abuse may warrant criminal prosecution but even if this is going on or may in the future, an abuse victim may still be able to seek compensation for their injuries through a civil action. It is important to hold nursing homes accountable not just for the sake of the victim but so that other people do not have to suffer the same kinds of abuse.
For a nursing home abuse law firm Washington DC abuse victims and their families can recommend, contact Cohen & Cohen, today.
Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm Washington D.C.
It was hard enough to put your loved one in a nursing home but now that you suspect you may be in need of a nursing home abuse law firm Washington D.C. community members trust, you are likely feeling helpless and overwhelmed. While we cannot take away the suffering of your loved one or the pain it has caused for you to see or hear about the state the abuse put them in, the highly trained team of lawyers at Cohen & Cohen are available for a free case evaluation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Nursing Home Abuses
Abuse in a nursing home comes in many forms. The following are common forms of abuse that get reported. Please note that the following is not an exhaustive list of abuses nor is it in any way meant to give or replace legal advice from a trained and licensed lawyer.
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Mental or verbal abuse
- Malnutrition
- Medical malpractice
- Lack of prescribed medications and/or treatment regimens
- Lack of supervised physical activity
- Bedsores and/or improper hygiene
- Improper monitoring of basic needs
- Failure to seek medical advice
Sadly the list goes on. If you are concerned that someone you love has suffered poor treatment while in a nursing home, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers Washington DC nursing home victims have relied on in the past. While the top-rated lawyers at Cohen & Cohen cannot take away the abuse that has already occurred, they may be able to help you make informed decisions about what your next steps should be.
Even though you may be overwhelmed with grief and do not want to do anything but grieve, it may help you know that when you contact a trustworthy nursing home abuse law firm Washington D.C. residents recommend, you may be helping to prevent future people from suffering the kind of abuse your loved one suffered from.
Nursing Home Patients
The term nursing home often conjures up images of older people, many of whom are in wheelchairs, sitting around in hospital gowns in a day room. While this is fairly accurate in many cases, there are many different types of nursing homes.
Nursing homes service a range of populations of people who are unable to care for themselves properly. While many residents of nursing homes are over the age of 65, any aged person can need to be in a nursing home if they cannot take care of themselves.
No matter how old your loved one is, no matter what their underlying condition is, if you are concerned about nursing home abuse, contact a nursing home abuse law firm Washington D.C. family members of nursing home abuse victims can recommend.
Abuse Can Happen in Any Type of Nursing Home
There are private and public nursing homes in the Washington D.C. area. Regardless of where their funding comes from, they are all supposed to provide a high level of long-term personal or nursing care for people who can’t take care of themselves.
Unfortunately, abuses happen in both public and private facilities of varying sizes.
If you are in the unfortunate situation of thinking that you are in need of a top-rated nursing home abuse law firm Washington D.C. is glad to have on its side, contact the compassionate team at Cohen & Cohen, today.
