Nursing home abuse is any type of abuse that someone at a nursing home experiences from fellow patients, nursing home staff, or administration. Some older adults require assistance from nursing home staff due to their declining physical condition and cognitive functioning. However, some people take advantage of an older person’s condition and physically, emotionally, sexually, or financially abuse them.
Victims of nursing home abuse can sustain physical and emotional injuries, such as bone fractures, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and depression. These injuries and medical conditions can result in significant damages like medical bills, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Victims of nursing home abuse can file a nursing home abuse claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensation for economic and non-economic damages. A nursing home abuse lawyer can help you determine the best option for pursuing compensatory damages.
Nursing Home Staff Can Physically Abuse Patients
A common type of nursing home abuse is physical abuse, which is any situation where nursing home staff or administration physically strikes a patient. According to a 2020 study from the World Health Organization (WHO), 9% of nursing home staff members admit to physically abusing patients at some point. The same study found that one in every six older adults above age 60 experienced physical abuse in a community setting.
Some examples of physical abuse in a nursing home include punching, kicking, pushing, choking, and restraining patients with straps. Nursing home physical abuse victims can suffer severe physical injuries like bone fractures, elbow injuries, and facial injuries.
If you experience physical abuse in a nursing home, reporting it and receiving medical treatment is vital to ensure your severe injuries do not worsen and your abuser gets punished.
What is Nursing Home Neglect?
Nursing home neglect is when staff fails to provide a patient with adequate attention and medical care. While physical abuse comes from the intentional recklessness of the staff, neglect can stem from carelessness. Failing to provide adequate medical care can lead to a nursing home patient experiencing reduced physical and emotional health.
The following are some examples of nursing home neglect:
- Failing to give a patient the correct dosage of medication
- Not helping patient upkeep their personal hygiene
- Leaving a patient that needs help moving in their room alone for hours at a time
- Failing to give patients the proper food and water
- Ignoring a patient’s concerns and complaints
Emotional Abuse in a Nursing Home
Another common form of nursing home abuse is emotional abuse, which is any behavior that can cause a patient to suffer emotional pain. Some examples of emotional abuse include yelling at patients, verbally threatening them, name-calling, blaming them for things they didn’t do, and treating them differently than other patients.
This type of nursing home abuse can lead to a patient experiencing negative mental health effects, such as depression, anxiety, fear, nervousness, and sadness. It can go unreported and unnoticed because it does not involve physical acts of violence. The emotional damage caused to the patient can leave them afraid to speak up, and other patients and staff members may not notice it happening.
Nursing Home Staff Can Financially Abuse Patients
Nursing home staff can also financially abuse patients by using their close relationships to get money from them. This can include disallowing nursing home residents from accessing their bank accounts, stealing cash or credit cards, or changing a patient’s will to allow them to get money.
This type of abuse does not leave physical scars, but it can negatively affect a patient’s financial situation and make it hard for them to pay for further medical care.
Sexual Abuse in a Nursing Home
Nursing home sexual abuse is when a nursing home patient experiences unwanted sexual contact from a nursing home resident, staff member, or administration member. Sexual activity requires consent, and forcing someone into sexual contact without their acknowledgment is illegal. This type of behavior alarmingly happens with nursing home patients who are physically unable to give their consent.
This type of nursing home abuse can leave scars and lead to severe physical injuries. The sexual abuse victim can also have to deal with the emotional damage caused by the traumatic incident. If you suffered sexual abuse in a nursing home, you should report your abuser to superiors at the nursing home and the police.
Why Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer?
Nursing home abuse victims can experience damages like medical bills, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life. The best way to pursue compensation for economic and non-economic damages is to file a nursing home abuse claim.
Hiring a nursing home abuse lawyer can help with the process of a nursing home abuse claim, as they will have experience handling the many steps involved in the process. It can be difficult to handle these steps alone, and a nursing home abuse lawyer can explain why the steps are essential and the best way to handle them.
The following are some ways a nursing home abuse lawyer can help with your claim:
- Calculate your nursing home abuse damages
- Determine who caused the nursing home abuse
- Explain your rights and your state’s nursing home abuse laws
- Draft and send the demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurance company
- Collect evidence to prove your case
- Speak to expert witnesses
- Negotiate a settlement with the liable party’s insurer
- Represent you in court
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Nursing Home Abuse Claim
At The Russo Firm, our nursing home abuse lawyer can apply their decades of experience and use their vast resources to help you recover compensation for damages. We understand how abuse from nursing home staff and administration can affect your physical health, emotional state, and financial situation.
Our nursing home abuse lawyers want to represent your interests, communicate with your consistently, and help develop a legal counsel strategy to help you recover fair compensatory damages. Contact us for a free nursing home abuse case evaluation today at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
