Unfortunately, abuse and neglect in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is much more common than you might think, and it can also be hard to spot even if you pay close attention and visit a resident in one often.
When you suspect someone you love is being mistreated in a nursing home, you should reach out to a Cut Off nursing home abuse lawyer sooner rather than later to talk about what to do next. Depending on the situation, it may fall to you to get your family member out of harm’s way and file a lawsuit on their behalf to get them paid for harm they have already experienced, all things a skilled personal injury attorney could help you do quickly and effectively.
What Does Nursing Home Abuse Look Like?
Not all forms of nursing home abuse lead to obvious symptoms like bruises, cuts, and other injuries from someone being physically assaulted. In many situations, abuse is more subtle, including emotional abuse like taunting or yelling, psychological abuse like keeping residents from seeing their families, and sexual or financial abuse.
People with loved ones in nursing homes should keep track of their family member’s living conditions and general well-being, since things like dirty bedsheets and sudden changes in mood or personality can be signs of abuse that warrant a call to a Cut Off nursing home abuse attorney. Other not-so-obvious things that could point to abuse or neglect in a nursing home are repeated small injuries that nursing home staff members cannot give good explanations for, residents showing childlike behaviors like thumb-sucking or rocking, residents acting nervous or odd around certain staff members but not others, and sudden changes to their will, estate planning documents, or money in their bank accounts.
What to Do When a Family Member Is Being Abused
Anyone who thinks someone in a nursing home is being mistreated can report it to the Health Standards Section of the Louisiana Department of Health by calling their hotline at 888-810-1819, which can offer more information about what to do next and may open an investigation into the nursing home where the mistreatment is happening. In the meantime, consider getting the abused or neglected resident out of their nursing home and into a safer place, which local law enforcement can help with.
Once the immediate danger has passed, a nursing home abuse lawyer in Cut Off could help demand civil compensation for the harm the affected resident sustained. This can include financial losses like medical bills and personal property damage and non-financial losses like physical pain and emotional anguish.
Talk to a Cut Off Nursing Home Abuse Attorney About Legal Options
Elderly or disabled people who are dealing with severe physical and mental limitations are unfortunately easy targets for people who want to abuse others, but even nursing home workers with good intentions can cause harm through accidental neglect. Either way, this kind of treatment of people in nursing homes is unacceptable, and you have a right to help your family member take legal action when they have been mistreated.
A Cut Off nursing home abuse lawyer could be your ally from start to finish of your legal case, and you will not pay anything unless they get you fair compensation. Call today to learn more.
