When you put a family member in a nursing home or an assisted living facility, you trust that they will receive top-notch care. It is crushing to learn that this trust has been betrayed, but it happens all too frequently.
To get justice in such a case, you need a Kissimmee nursing home abuse lawyer who has worked on these issues before with success. Reach out to an experienced injury attorney as soon as possible to begin exploring your options.
Important Indicators of Abuse
Medical professionals, including nursing home staff, are liable for malpractice if the care they gave someone fails to meet the accepted standards of care and diligence in that area of practice.
When individuals visit their loved ones at the nursing home, certain signs may demonstrate that they are not receiving the care they deserve, including:
- Bedsores
- Bruises, broken bones, or other injuries
- Unexplained weight loss
- Evidence of psychological harm
- Depression or listlessness
- Unexplained increase in the number or types of drugs being administered
Bedsores are a typical problem, as so many residents of nursing homes or assisted living facilities have limited mobility and must remain in bed much of the time. In such cases, it is the job of the caregivers there to ensure the residents move around enough during the day to make sure they do not develop sores.
Abuse of the Elderly
Tragically, individuals in these kinds of facilities sometimes suffer physical and/or psychological abuse. Caring for the elderly and chronically ill can be difficult, particularly if those persons are suffering from dementia. But it is the responsibility of all licensed nursing homes and assisted living facilities to hire personnel who have been trained to handle these sorts of patients.
There is no excuse for medical staff resorting to abuse and cruelty. If a person discovers that their family member has been subjected to such treatment, the facility must be held accountable. As nursing home abuse has been increasingly recognized in recent years as a serious problem, the federal government and many state governments have passed laws setting standards for such facilities.
There are specific regulations barring nursing home staff from:
- Use of restraints on any resident
- Locking a resident in a room inside the facility
- Provide sedatives to a resident unless that sedative has been prescribed by that resident’s physician to treat specific symptoms
Kissimmee nursing home abuse law also states that if any employee of the facility suspects that a resident is being abused, neglected, isolated, or exploited, the employee must report these concerns to the senior staff of the facility immediately.
Missing Items
Another problem that often arises at nursing homes is the theft of the residents’ personal property. Typically, an employee of a residential facility must not handle a resident’s money without being asked to do so in writing. Also, an accurate record must be kept of all money deposited with the facility.
Contacting a Kissimmee Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
If you have suspicions that this kind of abuse is going on, it is crucial that you contact attorneys about this as soon as you can, so that they can start gathering the evidence you will need to make your case.
If your loved one has suffered this kind of disturbing, abusive treatment, it is essential that you speak with attorneys who understand the applicable law. A Kissimmee nursing home abuse experienced lawyer knows how to build a case that a health care facility has not met the standard of care that residents and their family members are entitled to.