Find out that an elderly person was neglected or abused in the care home is frightening. Nursing homes are supposed to provide adequate care and supervision for all of their patients. Entrusting a person’s loved one to these nursing homes can be the only option they have left. Deciding to have a loved one placed within a nursing home can be for a number of reasons.
The majority of nursing home facilities do have professional staff who are compassionate towards their residents, but there are some nursing home facilities who are neglectful and unqualified to be caring for these people. The Tampa firm has seen the effects that nursing home abuse has on the family members and work to help these victims.
Like any other medical facility, nursing homes must provide a standard of care that is reasonable towards all of its residents. Abuse and neglect can occur in many forms and for a number of reasons. Why is it difficult to figure out that the nursing home facility abused or neglected an elderly? Well, the elderly person might have some medical condition that does not permit them to speak and communicate what is going on. Additionally, the nursing home might steer the blame on the elderly himself by stating that they fell(unexplained injuries) or did not want to shower(poor hygiene).
As soon as just a spark of suspicion is present, the family of the elderly person should seek help. No one wants their loved one to be in the hands of someone who is hurting them, especially because elderly people are so sensitive. In fact, an elderly person who has been abused has a 300% more chance to die than someone who has not been abused.
Different Types of Abuse that Can Occur in Nursing Homes
Abuse happens in many ways, not just physical. These signs and types of abuse are some that can be present:
Physical Abuse: Physical abuse is the intentional act to physically harm a person. The nursing home might say that the resident was injured by falling or bumping into an object. Physical abuse will usually display these signs:
- Cuts
- Fractures
- Lacerations
- Bruises
- Restraints
Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse is an abuse that instills fear, anxiety, and mental anguish to the person in an intentional way. This abuse can manifest itself through non-verbal acts and verbal acts. Emotional abuse will usually have these following signs:
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Withdrawal
- Biting, rocking, or sucking
- Depression
- Confusion that cannot be explained
Financial Abuse: Financial abuse happens when the assets of the resident are used for the personal gain of the nursing home or staff members. Financial abuse can happen due to the following:
- Manipulation
- Threats
- Incapacitation
- Lack of control over their funds
Neglect: Neglect happens when the nursing home fails to properly care for the residents. Although neglect can sometimes be unintentional, it still is grounds for a lawsuit. These are some signs of neglect:
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Bed sores
- Lack of medical treatment
- Lack of hygiene
Who is Liable For Nursing Home Abuse?
When an abuse in a nursing home occurs, a few parties could be held responsible. Some of those parties include:
- The owner of the nursing home
- The nursing home staff
- The nursing home
- Government agencies
Those who will be held liable depends on the circumstance of the abuse and who committed the abuse. In addition, the government agencies can be liable if they did not regulate the nursing home accordingly.
Reporting Nursing Home Abuse
As soon as abuse is suspected, it should be reported so that an investigation can take place. Assisted living facility abuse can be reported in a variety of places. Some of those include:
- Going to the National Eldercare Abuse website where phone numbers will be listed
- The primary physician or social worker of the resident can also be contacted
- The last option is calling 911 if the abuse is too much
Examples of Real Cases Involving Assisted Living Neglect and Abuse
Neglect in Old Folk’s Home
The family member of a woman who was in a nursing home suspected neglect in 2012, therefore she hired an attorney. The sister would fall a lot, had unexplained burns, could no longer walk, and an overall health decline. The sister grew concerned and it was found that the nursing home facility was understaffed. They have more than 12,000 hours of understaffed during her sisters stay. They were awarded $1.9 million.
Wrongful Death
An 86-year old nursing home resident was very ill. She was experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. The woman was to be evaluated by a certified aide, but she never got evaluated. As a result, the resident started experiencing rectum bleeding. The nursing home did nothing about it. They just stuck her on a recliner chair. The one that noticed her deteriorating condition was her son who came to visit her, but it was already too late. She died a few days later. One million was awarded to her family for wrongful death.
Slip and Fall
In 2016, a fall that took place caused the death of a 78-year old resident after she sustained injuries to her left tibia and fibula. The patient was a high-risk patient for falling and was never supervised as she should have been. The nursing home was found negligent and was ordered to pay $3.5 million in compensation.
Tampa Nursing Homes
Here’s a list of nursing homes in Tampa:
- Palm Garden of Tampa
- The Home Association
- Excel Care Center
- Whispering Oaks
- Canterbury Tower
- Opis Fairway Oaks Center
- Accentia Health and Rehabilitation
- Habana Health Care Center
- Fletcher Health and Rehabilitation
- Brighton Gardens of Tampa
- Carrollwood Care
- NuVista Living in Tampa
- Aston Gardens At Tampa
- Joseph’s John Knox
- Brookdale Bayshore
Fighting Off Nursing Home Abuse in Tampa, FL
The main objective of Percy Martinez Law Firm is to fight against those victims who were abused or neglected during their stay in a nursing home. The firm has a team of skillful nursing home abuse lawyers in Tampa that never rests until justice has been served for the victim and their family. Nursing homes have e a duty of care for their residents like every other medical facility has. Just because some residents might not be able to defend themselves or speak up, it does not give a right to the nursing home to abuse or neglect the resident. They must be vigilant and care for every resident that is present in their facility.