Placing the care and safety of your loved ones into the hands of nursing home staff takes a lot of trust. When that trust is broken through negligence or abuse, an already difficult time becomes even worse for many families.
At times like these, it’s important to enlist all the help you can, including legal guidance. Familiarize yourself with some of these common situations so you know when it’s time to hire a nursing home negligence lawyer or elder abuse lawyer.
Elder Abuse Lawyer vs. Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer: What’s the Difference?
While the roles of an elder abuse lawyer and a nursing home negligence lawyer overlap, there are some distinctions. Both types of lawyers are equipped to navigate the complexities of their respective areas to protect the rights and well-being of the elderly.
An elder abuse lawyer specializes in cases where intentional harm, whether physical, emotional, or financial, is inflicted upon an elderly individual by a caregiver, family member, or other parties. This can include things like issues with estate planning, Medicare misuse, or deliberate physical abuse.
In contrast, a nursing home negligence lawyer focuses on instances where substandard care or failure to adhere to established protocols within a nursing home setting results in injury or harm to a resident. These cases usually involve unintentional wrongs.
When Should I Hire a Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer?
Unfortunately, nursing home negligence comes in many forms. If you notice signs of any of these situations involving the care of your loved ones, get in contact with a nursing home negligence lawyer immediately:
1. Poor Body Positioning
If a resident has a difficult time moving themselves and aren’t moved frequently or are left in uncomfortable positions, it can result in injury, pain, bed sores, etc.—all signs that you should recruit some help.
2. Lack of Assistance and Monitoring
Elderly individuals often need help performing daily tasks, including important hygiene practices and getting from place to place. They also need to be supervised and checked for injuries or illness often. If these practices aren’t being followed, get legal help soon.
3. Withholding of Food
Nursing home residents have the right to receive meals on a regular basis. Meals being served late or not at all signal that your family member may not be well cared for.
4. Medical Neglect
Caretakers have the responsibility to arrange proper medical care and administer medications as necessary, and failure to perform these tasks can have grave consequences.
5. Abuse or Mistreatment
This is a case that could require the help of an elder abuse lawyer as well. Any form of abuse is completely unacceptable, especially when the caretaker—who should be protecting and nurturing your family member—is responsible.
Sexual or physical abuse should be reported and addressed immediately. Additionally, if it seems like your loved one is being manipulated or encouraged to make choices or take actions that are out of the realm of normal caretaker responsibilities, they may be experiencing emotional or financial abuse. Take action as soon as possible to protect them.
Protect the Health and Dignity of Your Loved Ones with PMHP
PMHP has years of experience pushing back against large industries (like nursing homes) to promote justice and protect the people you love. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe and cared for—including your family members living in nursing homes. That’s why we give personalized attention to each case and take the time to understand your needs and situation.
If you believe your loved one is suffering from any form of nursing home negligence, reach out so we can help you receive your full and fair compensation.