Nursing Home Abuse and Elder Abuse

A nursing home should be the last place you’d expect to find abuse or neglect, but sadly, it happens all too often across the country.

If you believe your loved one was the victim of abuse or neglect in their nursing home and have suffered physical or mental injuries because of it, speak with a lawyer today about filing an elder abuse claim.

Jacksonville nursing home abuse lawyer can help you recover damages related to your injuries and ensure that your loved one’s care providers are held accountable for any harm they’ve caused to other elderly residents.

How Elder Abuse Lawsuits Can Help

There are several ways that an elderly person can become a victim of abuse.

A well-intentioned nursing home worker might be physically overzealous when assisting with bathing or meal, while another type of caregiver may neglect to provide necessary medical care or attention.

Other abusers may be family members who use their close relationship with their loved ones to take advantage in some way. Whatever form it takes, elderly abuse is illegal, immoral, and completely unacceptable.

That’s why those who have been victims should know about their legal options for seeking justice and compensation for damages caused by nursing home abuse.

Why File an Elder Care Abuse Lawsuit?

This can happen if you or a loved one suffered abuse at a nursing home. Nursing home abuse can happen in many ways, including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; neglect; financial exploitation; and more.

Nursing home staff should always treat patients with dignity and respect. If your loved one suffered abuse while staying at a nursing home, it’s important to know your rights as an elder care abuse survivor.

For example, according to Florida law, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for injuries suffered at a nursing home (the state of Florida compensates victims up to $250,000).

To learn more about filing an elder care abuse lawsuit in Florida, contact our team of experienced Jacksonville personal injury law firm today.

Signs That Your Loved One Is Being Abused in a Nursing Facility

1. Your loved one is not being bathed regularly:

When a nursing home resident’s caretaker forgets to bathe them or change their clothes, it can be a sign of abuse. In addition, they may start to smell bad due to not being bathed.

2. There are unexplained injuries on your loved one:

You might notice bruises or wounds on your loved one that you didn’t see before, which can be a sign of abuse from another resident or from an employee of the facility.

3. Your loved one has sudden changes in behavior:

You might notice that your loved one has become withdrawn, depressed, or apathetic after moving into a nursing facility.

Types of Nursing Home Neglect Cases

Elder abuse cases involve neglect, physical or sexual abuse, or financial exploitation of older adults in nursing homes and other residential care facilities.

Nursing home neglect occurs when a nursing home fails to provide proper care for its residents.

Neglect can happen through physical means, such as ignoring a resident’s pain or not providing necessary medications. Negligence can also occur through mental means, such as failing to offer residents appropriate activities or socialization opportunities.

In many cases, nursing home neglect involves both physical and mental abuse.

A nursing home can also be negligent by either understaffing a facility or not training its staff correctly to handle patients’ medical needs.