Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Florida
Nursing home abuse is a serious issue and is rapidly growing all across the United States of America. According to the records, 1 in 20 nursing patients in the nursing homes become a victim of abuse. Consulting a Miami assisted living facility abuse lawyer immediately following an abuse in a nursing home can make the difference.
Hold the responsible nursing home abuse parties accountable
You have the legal right to hold the negligent party responsible for the wrongful death or the grave injury of the loved one living in the nursing home. Most of these cases are carried out by the inexperienced or the under qualified staff members working at the nursing homes.
Senior citizens are often frail, and the nursing home is negligent
Due to their old age and fragile health conditions, the elderly citizens are unable to provide for themselves and thus, with such negligence or medical malpractice, they cannot survive for a longer period. At times, numerous suspicious wrongful deaths occur at the nursing homes due to malnutrition and dehydration. There is a drastic increase of Miami nursing home abuse lawyers who are specializing in this particular field to handle these cases.
Nursing Home Abuse is Illegal in the State of Florida
Nursing home abuse is considered a crime under the state law of Florida. It is the duty of the caretakers to care for the elderly with empathy, concern, consideration, and respect. Taking action before it is too late is the appropriate step to take once a family member has a suspicion that their loved one is being abused in the old folks’ home.
Assisted Living Facility Abuse and Neglect Signs
These are some signs neglect and abuse by home care facilities:
- Frequent infections can indicate that the staff at the nursing home is failing to follow proper hand wash and other cleaning techniques.
- Physical neglect suggests that the staff members are not providing the residents with the necessities of their lives, for instance, bed sores.
- The residents who fall frequently.
- Isolation or withdrawal is a sign which means that the staff members are not providing the elderly resident with the proper attention and assistance he requires.
It is better for the family member that you recognize the signs soon rather than later. You would be able to save your family member along with the other elder residents at the nursing care center. A Miami care home abuse lawyer can take on cases of improper care of the residents and unlawful behavior.
Nursing Home Mistakes, Negligence, Medical Malpractice and Abuse
A number of problems can arise from different mistakes within a nursing home setting. Some mistakes that can constitute a lawsuit include
Slip and Falls: A slip and fall in a nursing home can happen for a number of reasons. The facility may not have properly maintained the walkway or had a hazardous object obstructing the path. Additionally, the majority of elderly people in nursing homes take medications that can make them unsteady and lightheaded. If the medical staff is not vigilant of these residents, they could slip and fall, resulting in extensive damage.
Medical Malpractice: As individuals age, so does their health. Within the nursing home, there is a medical facility to treat any resident that may suffer a health condition like a heart attack or an injury such as a fall. When the medical staff does not properly treat or care for any resident of the nursing home, they could be sued for medical malpractice. Medical professionals are required to provide a standard of care when they are attending a patient. One mistake can be the reason an individual dies. Some common forms of medical malpractice include misdiagnosing and medication errors.
Lack of Supervision: For the majority of the time, elderly people are placed in nursing home facilities because they must be supervised and medically cared for. An illness that affects many old people is known as Alzheimer’s. This disease makes the person confused and can cause them to “wander off”. If a patient wanders off and it is found that the nursing home was not supervising these patients who are more prone to wander off, they could be found accountable for any resulting injuries that the
patient endures. Nursing home facilities should know which patients are high-risk and require 24/7 supervision.
Abuse: Abuse is an intentional act that is committed that harms another person. In this case, it is acts committed by the nursing home staff against the elderly. Abuse is not only restricted to physical but also financial and emotional. Some signs to keep an eye out would be unexplained injuries, recurrent infections, poor hygiene, fear, and other factors.
Abuse Present in Many Forms With Elder Patients
Physical: This type of abuse is the most apparent one, but can be the hardest to prove. The nursing home will try to shift the blame to the resident. They will attribute the bruises, fractures, or scratches to the resident falling down. Some examples of physical abuse in elderly care facilities include:
- Cuts
- Broken bones/fractures
- Restraining resident who do not require to be
- Bruises
- Bed sores
Emotional: Emotional abuse and psychological abuse go hand-in-hand. This is when a resident is abused by either non-verbal gestures or verbally. They may be called names, threatened, manipulated, and intimidated. Emotional trauma can be hard to determine because if the resident is unable to speak about what is happening, how could their loved one know? Well, there are signs that a person who has suffered emotional trauma will usually display. Those include:
- Being withdrawn
- Feeling anxious
- Feeling depressed
- Feeling scared/living in fear
Financial: Financial abuse happens when the assets that are being provided to the elderly person is being taken away by the nursing staff. Some examples include:
- A nursing staff forging a signature
- Cashing the resident’s check
- Forcing resident to sign documents
Every one of these types of abuse can lead to one another. A financial abuse can lead to emotional abuse, just like physical abuse is usually associated with emotional abuse. Another issue seen in assisted living facilities is neglect. Neglect is not the same as abuse because it is usually unintentional, but can still cause the resident physical and emotional damages. Some forms of negligence by a nursing home include:
- Constant infections
- Pressure sores
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Slipping and falling a lot
Finding the Right Nursing Home
Your foremost priority while searching for the right nursery home should be finding the nursing center that can fulfill the healthcare needs of your family member. On the other hand, here are a few things that you should consider while choosing the right nursery home:
- Make a list of the prestigious nursing homes, preferably, which is not too far from your house.
- Discuss the potential senior facilities among your friends, family, neighbors, and senior groups.
- A list of certified nursing home facilities will be listed on the Medicare or Medicaid website.
- Make sure that the nursing home is close to the home of anyone of your family members or friends, so that someone is always there to check on them.
- Ask the administration about the visitation rights, meals, hiring practices, the staff requirements, and other such questions.
- Determine the overall quality of the nursing home, and check if your family member is happy with the place.
- Ask if the facility provides any social events for the senior citizens and other opportunities to meet with friends and other residents of the house.
It is vital for you to consider the place after asking some questions, for instance, is the facility a clean environment? Is there any trained medical professional among the staff members? and make certain to ask them if they take precautions to avoid any medical emergencies. Visit the nursing home facility without informing them beforehand.
List of Assisted Living Facilities in Miami
These are some Old Folks’ Homes located in Miami, FL.
- Fair Haven Center
- Palmetto Subacute
- Harmony Health Center
- The Palace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
- Claridge House
- Sinai Plaza Rehab & Nursing
- Bay Oaks Home
- Hebrew Home South Beach Plaza
- Pines Nursing Home
- Ponce Plaza Nursing & Rehab
- Miami Jewish Health Systems
- Watercrest Care Center
- The Palace Group
- Coral Reef Nursing and Rehabilitation
Contact a Florida Nursing Home & Elderly Abuse Malpractice Lawyer
If you or anyone from your family is suffering from the horrors of a nursing home, then make sure that you communicate with the Miami nursing home abuse lawyers at Percy Martinez, P.A. at (305) 529-0001.
Additional Information
- Basics of Elderly Abuse
- Understanding Nursing Staff Abuse
- Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse
- Nursing Home Malnutrition
- Settling Your Nursing Home Abuse Case
- Nursing Home Substance Abuse
- Wrongful Death Nursing Home
Updated: 6/6/2017