Elderly Texans sometimes reach a point in their lives where they can no longer take care of themselves in their own home. Their family members might try to take them in and also care for them either in their own home or in their loved one’s home, but there’s only so much that they can do. That’s when the older family member and the rest of the family make a decision to admit them into a nursing home.
Even though the intention is to live in a long-term care facility so that they can get adequate, around-the-clock care, sometimes staff members can abuse and neglect their patients in the facility. Our Amarillo, TX nursing home abuse lawyer is here to help you stand up against the mistreatment of your loved one.
At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we understand how violating it is to suffer abuse of any kind, especially from the people who were supposed to take care of you. That’s why we’re here to fight for your rights and get you justice for what happened to you.
Texas Nursing Home Residents’ Rights
When your family makes the decision to place your loved one in a nursing home, you should know what all that entails for your elder. A resident in a long-term care facility still maintains their rights when they enter the home for care. Their life is still up to them, and they can’t be made to do anything that they don’t want to do.
Here are some of the rights of a Texas nursing home resident, according to the Texas Health and Human Services:
- The right to be treated with respect and maintain their dignity.
- The right to practice their own religious beliefs.
- The right to confidentiality for personal and medical information.
- The right to make their own decisions in treatment.
- The right to choose their own physician.
- The right to be involved in activities inside and outside of the facility.
- The right to have privacy in their room with visitors or on phone calls.
- The right to be free of abuse and restraint.
- The right to be informed of the costs associated with their care.
- The right to make complaints about the facility.
- The right to not be transferred or discharged without notice.
There are other rights that your loved one maintains when they enter a nursing facility, but these are the main ones that you will need to keep in mind to ensure their rights are being protected. If you notice that any of these are being broken, then your family member could be experiencing abuse, or at the very least, could have their rights being violated.
That’s when you might choose to enlist the help of our Amarillo, TX nursing home abuse attorney. Our lawyers have experience representing clients who have been mistreated in their long-term care facilities and know exactly what to look for to build your case.
Low-Rated Long-Term Care Facilities in the Amarillo Area
Before choosing a nursing home for your loved one to live in, you likely did ample research to determine which would be the safest and best fit for them. Unfortunately, no matter how much research you do, your loved one still might receive subpar care and experience abuse or neglect at the hands of staff members.
However, knowing which long-term care facilities are poorly rated can help you make the most informed choice. It can also give you insight into what your loved one has experienced at that facility if you chose to admit them without proper research. Consulting Medicare’s comparison tool can help you determine if your loved one might be experiencing abuse or neglect at their facility.
The comparison tool lists 14 nursing homes in the Amarillo, TX area. Here is how they are rated:
- 1 much above average
- 4 above average
- 3 average
- 5 below average
- 1 much below average
These ratings are for their overall performance but are based on three aspects of their care. Medicare uses their ratings in health inspections, staffing, and quality of resident care to determine the overall rating for a facility. Other than the rating, if there has been abuse reported, there will be a separate banner to mark the facility on the search tool.
In these 14 results in Amarillo, none have the mark has having abuse reported. This doesn’t mean that abuse hasn’t happened at these facilities, just that it has not been reported. That’s why it’s important to do research, make visits, and have open communication with your loved one when they’re a resident in a nursing home—you never know when they might experience abuse, even if they’re at a highly rated facility.
When you suspect that your loved one isn’t getting the care that they deserve in their Amarillo long-term care facility, you could use the help of a nursing home abuse lawyer. At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we’re prepared to help you through every step of your claim.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
With all this information, you still might not know what to look for to spot abuse or neglect in the resident of a nursing home. You should know the signs of abuse so that you can make sense of what you’re seeing and know to promptly report the mistreatment. By knowing what abuse looks like, you’ll be able to feel firmer in your suspicions.
Here are the most prominent signs of abuse you should know:
- Unexplained bruises and other injuries
- Unclean room and sheets
- Poor hygiene
- Unexplained weight loss and dehydration
- Bed sores
- Missed medications
- Change in demeanor
- Anxiety and depression
- Hovering staff when visiting
- Missing valuables
- Unexplained STDs
Physical, mental, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse are all real possibilities that your loved one could experience. In some cases, they could also be experiencing neglect as well. When you identify these signs and suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected by a staff member, fellow resident, or third party at their facility, you should report it to the proper parties.
After telling the facility about your suspicions, you could use the help of an Amarillo, TX nursing home abuse attorney. We’ll represent you in your claim and ensure your loved one gets justice.
Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Will Support You
At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we’re prepared to support you and your loved one through their nursing home abuse claim. Our Amarillo, TX nursing home abuse lawyer will investigate what happened, prove negligence was involved, and calculate how much you’re owed for your damages. Reach out to us today so we can start helping you as soon as possible.
