Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer
If any of your loved ones resides in a nursing home or long-term care facility, it is important that you understand the warning signs of abuse and neglect. Residents of these facilities are exposed to neglect and other forms of abuse at staggering rates. Neglect has become of particular concern since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as an already understaffed industry became so understaffed that even those facilities with excellent reputations for resident care became vulnerable to the risk of not being able to meet the needs of their residents.
Why is it so important to become informed in re: the signs of abuse and neglect? Many residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities are not in a position to advocate for themselves. As a result, if their loved ones don’t advocate for them, their needs continue to remain unmet and/or they continue to serve as targets for abuse. Even those residents who are capable of speaking up often fail to do so because they fear retribution, believe that they have no opportunity for recourse, and/or don’t want to bother/worry their loved ones.
What Is Neglect?
As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Neglect is the failure to meet an older adult’s basic needs. These needs include food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and essential medical care.” Residents are entitled to have their basic needs met on an everyday basis. In addition to neglect of basic physical needs, many residents are subjected to social neglect.
What Does Social Neglect of a Nursing Home Resident Look Like?
As an experienced nursing home neglect lawyer can confirm, social neglect may occur in its own right or it may occur as a means of covering up other forms of abuse. Denying a resident free access to communicate with their loved ones and denying them the opportunity to participate in social activities with other residents are both red flags in re: social neglect.
Legal Options for Neglect Victims and Their Loved Ones
If your loved one is being neglected, there are opportunities for legal and financial recourse available under both state and federal law. Discussing the specifics of your concerns with an attorney experienced in nursing home neglect cases will help to ensure that you understand how the nuances of the law may apply to your loved one’s situation.
