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How To Know It Is Time To Seek The Services Of Nursing Home Injury Lawyers
Many families trust assisted living facilities and nursing homes to take care of their loved ones. Some nursing homes, unfortunately, violate this kind of trust by abusing or neglecting the elderly residents. Those who live in nursing homes also have the right to be treated with a lot of respect just like any other person. The main work of professional nursing home injuries lawyers is to represent those who have been harmed by the misconduct or the neglect of the nursing homes.
There are so many ways in which nursing homes can put the lives of those they look after in great danger. One way they do this is by hiring nurses who are not qualified. It can also happen when they do not train their staff in a proper way. They also do this by understaffing their facilities, and failing to carry out a thorough background check of their personnel.There are also some nursing homes that do not follow the nursing and medical care procedures.
It is easy to know if your loved ones are properly taken care by nursing homes. Here are some of the warning signs of a nursing home abuse that you should look out for:
- If the caregivers at the nursing home refuse to allow you to go and see your loved ones alone
- If the nursing home suddenly changes the medications of your loved ones
- When the residents wander off the premises
Nursing home abuse can either be physical or emotional. It can be felt in the form of physical or verbal abuse or even be manifested in any kind of neglect. When you know what to look for, you will be able to detect abuse of your loved ones in a nursing home.
When the staffs at the nursing home are unable to give an explanation as to the cause of the injuries, bruises, and other conditions on your loved ones, you should take action. The work of professional nursing home injuries attorneys is to hold the attendants of nursing homes accountable when a resident in their facility is harmed. The victims and their families will be able to get a fair compensation in all the kinds of nursing home abuse cases. These cases include:
- Bruising that tend to suggest a kind of unreasonable restraint
- Wrongful death
- Errors in the prescription drugs
- Severe weight loss or weight gain
- Dehydration and malnutrition
- Medical malpractice
- Failure to offer medical care and medications when needed
- Ulcers and bed sores
- Emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse
- Unjustified injuries and falls
These signs are fairly easy to detect with unannounced, and frequent visits to the care facilities where your loved ones are staying.Emotional abuse such as threats, abuse as well as the intentional cruelty might be a bit difficult to pick up on. There are also certain indications of verbal and emotional abuse, and they include the following:
- Frequent aggression or agitation
- Changes in mood
- Severe depression
- A deep feeling to withdraw from other residents in the nursing home.
Nursing Home Abuse From Other Residents
It is the main responsibility of the staff at nursing homes to ensure that the residents are safe. This would include safeguarding the residents from the abuse from those who take care of them. According to a study carried out in the US, 20% of nursing home residents experience physical and verbal from roommates.
Regardless of where the abuse is felt from, it should be considered very unacceptable. If you have a string belief that your loved ones have been undergoing abuse at the hands of other residents at the nursing home, you shouldn't hesitate to get in touch with professional nursing home attorneys.
When you get in touch with a professional nursing home attorney, they will aggressively pursue all the avenues available to make sure that you are properly compensated for you or your loved ones' pain, sufferings and costs.
As elderly people get more frail day by day, they are less likely to either fight back or stand up to bullying such as when they are physically or verbally attacked by others. In addition to all that, they also might not be able to see or hear as well as they used to back in the days. This results to opportunities for others to exploit and abuse them. If your loved one is a victim of such treatment, do not hesitate to hire a professional nursing home injuries lawyer.
Look for the Warning Signs
Each time you visit your loved ones at a nursing home, you should be able to listen to them carefully. You will be able to get the clues if there are instances of mistreatment meted against them. If you suspect nursing home neglect or abuse, you should get in touch with a team of nursing home abuse attorneys to get assistance. They usually have resources to assist you in conducting an investigation as quick as possible.
As noted earlier, there are signs and symptoms to look for each time you feel your loved ones are being abused at nursing homes. The signs could include mood changes, changes in sleeping or eating, discoloration and bruises, cuts and other unexplained sores.
There could also be signs of sexual abuse that might include bruising on the thighs or legs, bloody underwear, sexually transmitted diseases, and excessive pain or agitation when walking or sitting.
The elderly residents of nursing homes are the easiest prey. This is because they are confused, helpless or could be suffering dementia and other mental problems.
It is very important to report to the police when your family member has been victimized. Just reporting the matter to the nursing staff could not be enough.
But above all, it is important to get in touch with an experienced home nursing lawyer. There are the qualified professionals who will offer guidance about notifying the right authorities and assist your loved ones recover compensation for the injuries felt at the nursing home. Doing this will also assist in preventing future assaults on other residents housed there.
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