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.
