Gaithersburg Nursing Home Lawyer

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Gaithersburg, MD Nursing Home Lawyers

If you suspect that someone you love is being neglected or abused in their Maryland nursing home, it may be in their best interest for you to call Gaithersburg, MD nursing home lawyers as soon as possible. The idea that anyone is being abused is an awful one but when it is someone who cannot take care of themselves and possibly can’t speak for themselves, abuse becomes especially disheartening. When it comes from people who you have entrusted to take care of a loved one, it can be unbearable.

No one should ever have to endure nursing home abuse. Relatives of someone who needs to live in a nursing home should never have to worry about whether their loved one is being abused. If you know or just suspect that someone you love is being abused in their nursing home in Gaithersburg, the sooner you talk to MD nursing home lawyers the sooner you may be able to help stop your loved one from further suffering.

What kinds of abuse go on in nursing homes?

There is an unfortunately long list of the kinds of abuse that can go on in a nursing home but many of these abuses fall under one of three broad categories:

Abuse

Abuse in nursing homes typically involves the wilful intent to harm a person. An abusive caregiver in a nursing home may inflict physical injury on a patient, use unreasonable confinement or medicate them unnecessarily, use intimidation or punishment that results in physical harm or pain, or cause deliberate mental anguish. This includes abuse of a sexual nature. If you think that someone you love is being abused in their nursing home, do not hesitate to consult with Gaithersburg, MD nursing home lawyers in the hopes of making your loved one safe, as soon as possible.

Neglect

Neglect is when a caretaker (or the nursing home facility at large) fails to fulfill obligations for the care of their patient. Neglect can come in many different forms that include anywhere from malnutrition, failure to properly medicate or to seek medical care for a patient that is not well, failure to properly bathe a patient and to keep their bodies and living space hygienic, as well as preventing bed sores.  Neglect can be just as harmful to a nursing home patient as abuse and should be stopped as soon as possible. Many people have found it easier to do this with the help of reputable Gaithersburg, MD nursing home lawyers than if they were to try to do this on their own.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice that is seen in nursing homes is basically the same as medical malpractice outside of a nursing home. When a hospital, doctor or other health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, causes an injury to a patient, it may be considered medical malpractice. The negligence might be because of errors in diagnosis or treatment as well as during follow-up visits, treatments and overall health management.

Do not risk your loved one being abused or neglected any longer. For highly rated Gaithersburg, MD nursing home lawyers with a track record of successfully defending the rights of injured people, contact Cohen & Cohen for a free case evaluation with no obligations.

7 Situations That Could Count As Nursing Home Abuse

If you’re looking for information on a top nursing home lawyer Gaithersburg MD can provide, it’s likely that you have an elderly family member residing in a nursing home or assisted care facility — and it’s also likely that you’re wondering if your relative is receiving adequate care. As an experienced nursing home lawyer Gaithersburg MD has to offer would attest, nursing home abuse and neglect is more common than many people initially think. Nursing homes have a legal duty to provide a standard quality of care to residents, but unfortunately, some facilities and staff members do not provide all residents with this care.

At Cohen & Cohen , we understand that nursing home abuse can be difficult for families to detect. Many families do not realize that they could potentially take legal action, with the assistance of a nursing home lawyer Gaithersburg MD can trust, if their elderly relative is the victim of this abuse. Even though nursing home abuse might be difficult to spot — and even quite difficult to prove in some cases — every injured victim should have the ability to pursue damages for the abuse suffered at the hands of caretakers.

As an experienced nursing home lawyer Gaithersburg MD has to offer might explain, many prospective clients aren’t sure if they even have a case for nursing home abuse. While it’s often recommended to speak with a trusted nursing home lawyer in Gaithersburg MD for counsel and advice on your own specific case, here is a quick look at some of the more common actions that may count as abuse and neglect:

1. Failure to keep premises safe and clean.

Many families choose to move their elderly relatives into a nursing home because these facilities promise more safety and security. No living space is completely without risk of injury, as a skilled nursing home lawyer Gaithersburg MD trusts might attest. Residents might bump into table edges, trip over the stairs, or slip on the bathroom floor. Facilities with outdoor spaces present even more risks for slips, trips, and falls.

For elderly people, it might not be as easy to recover from these injuries (compared to younger and healthier adults). All public places, such as stores and offices, have a legal duty to provide reasonable care to reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls. Nursing homes not only have this same responsibility, but they might also be held to higher standard.

2. Failure to provide adequate medical care.

Some larger nursing home facilities have medical professionals on-site, while others are closely associated with a nearby hospital that can provide immediate care. It is the responsibility of the nursing home staff to respond to any medical emergencies of residents and to provide the necessary medical care (or call for emergency medical personnel).

3. Negligent supervision of residents, thereby allowing injuries to occur.

Regardless of the amount of supervision in a nursing home, there is always some amount of risk that residents will injure themselves or fall ill. Some of these medical conditions cannot be prevented, but if a nursing home is not supervising residents enough, the risk for injury increases substantially. Nursing homes and assisted care facilities are legally required to provide adequate supervision for patients, although as a seasoned nursing home lawyer Gaithersburg MD can provide might explain, not all facilities are intended to provide the same amount of supervision.

In a nursing home, it is generally expected that staff members will be available round-the-clock to help residents throughout the day — and throughout the night, too. Regular supervision also ensures that if a resident is injured while alone, a staff member will know about the injury as soon as possible.

4. Errors involving medication.

Nursing homes, similar to hospitals, often care for a large number of individuals who have complex medication needs. For many elderly people it is absolutely essential to take their medications on a daily basis, to take these medications at the correct time of day, and to take the correct dosages. It is the responsibility of the nursing home staff members to make sure that all medication dosages are provided on time, and many facilities even have an on-site prescription dispensary.

Nevertheless, there are several types of errors that might occur. Staff members might mix up residents’ medications or they might fail to make sure that a resident actually takes the pills he/she needs to take. When this results in an injury or illness, the nursing home might be held legally responsible.

5. Any form of physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional abuse.

Any form of domestic abuse that occurs in private residential homes can also occur in nursing homes. Unfortunately, it might be harder for families of residents to recognize what is happening. When they do see what is happening, it can be even more difficult to provide evidence of the abuse. Elderly residents might not understand that they are being abused or they might forget that it happened. When a family believes that their elderly relative is being abused, it can be very helpful to talk with a nursing home attorney to determine how to collect evidence.

Contact a Nursing Home Lawyer Gaithersburg MD Depends On

Nursing home abuse and neglect is something that happens more often than you might realize. At Cohen & Cohen , our legal team is dedicated to serving the local residents of Maryland who have experienced an injury due to another person’s mistake.

Even though nursing home abuse and neglect cases may be some of the more complicated personal injury matters — and even if it takes a long time to collect enough evidence of the abuse — we believe that every abused victim in a nursing home should have the opportunity to collect financial damages. If a family believes that their elderly relative is being abused or neglected, it’s important for this family to know that there is a local Gaithersburg MD nursing home lawyer who may be able to help obtain damages for the victim and the affected family.

Our law firm has provided invaluable legal counsel to many individuals and families throughout the state of Maryland. If you believe that your elderly relative may be suffering from abuse in a nursing home, we invite you to contact us for more information about these types of cases. At Cohen & Cohen , we’re proud to give each of our clients a nursing home lawyer Gaithersburg MD truly deserves.