Elderly Gilbert citizens deserve to maintain their dignity and be able to live their lives while getting the best care possible. Sometimes, when older family members are no longer able to take care of themselves in their own homes, or loved ones are unable to provide them with the level of care they need in their homes, the only option left is to move them into a long-term care facility. These are great options to ensure your elderly loved one is getting the care they need while maintaining a high quality of life.
Our Gilbert, AZ nursing home abuse lawyer is here to support you and your elderly loved one when the care they receive in their facility is not only below average, but also abusive or neglectful. We have experience representing the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect and will stand up for the rights of your abused loved one. We’ll investigate what happened, hold the facility and staff accountable, and recover the full and fair compensation your family member deserves.
Gilbert Nursing Home Ratings
When you suspect that your loved one is being abused in their long-term care facility, your first thought could be to check if that nursing home has a history of mistreating their residents. Even though you likely did your research before moving your family member into this facility, it’s possible that you didn’t see any information to make you believe the facility was dangerous or had bad staffing.
Through Medicare, you can check the ratings of the facilities in the area so that you can either avoid certain nursing homes, or use the tool to compare the care others have received to what you or your loved one has experienced. According to the facility compare tool, these are the ratings of the nursing homes in Gilbert and the surrounding area:
- 9 much above average
- 5 above average
- 3 average
- 3 below average
- 1 much below average
In order to get these ratings, Medicare uses data of the nursing facility’s health inspections, staffing reports, and quality of resident care. According to this comparison tool, none of the facilities in the Gilbert area have had reports of abuse or neglect, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist within their facilities.
Just because abuse isn’t reported doesn’t mean abuse doesn’t occur. Residents could be scared to speak up, or not have the power to take legal action. That’s why our Gilbert, AZ nursing home abuse attorney is here—we’re prepared to be the voice of victims so that the staff and facility are held responsible for their wrongful actions against patients.
Arizona Long-Term Care Facility Residents’ Rights
Residents in Gilbert, AZ nursing homes, as well as the rest of the residents in the state of Arizona, have rights that they are required to maintain when they enter into a long-term care facility. Even though they might feel like they’re giving up their rights when they choose to live in a nursing home, they are supposed to keep their dignity and their rights so that they can have a high quality of life. Here are some of the rights that your loved one legally needs to maintain, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services:
- The right to be free from discrimination of any kind.
- The right to be treated with respect and dignity.
- The right to have unsupervised visitors and phone calls.
- The right to take part in activities inside and outside the facility.
- The right to privacy in your room.
- The right to make your own medical decisions and take part in your treatment plans.
- The right to choosing your physician.
- The right to be free of any physical or chemical restraints.
- The right to maintain your own finances.
- The right to voice any grievances you have with staff or the facility.
These are only the most basic rights that your loved one has when they are a resident in a nursing home in Gilbert, or anywhere in Arizona. It’s important to keep these in mind because by knowing which rights need to be protected, you can better spot when their rights are being violated. You should frequently check in with your elderly family member to talk about how they’re being treated in their nursing home, and if they’re experiencing any abuse, neglect, or rights violations.
When you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected, you could use the help of our Gilbert, AZ nursing home abuse lawyer. We’re here to investigate what happened and determine if your family member experienced abuse.
Who Could Be Responsible for the Abuse Your Loved One Endured
You might think that the nurses on staff are the only people who could be responsible for any abuse or neglect of your loved one, however they’re not always the one at fault. There are other people who work in and enter the nursing home who could be negligent or malicious in your loved one’s care. This is why it’s important to have a nursing home abuse lawyer on your side—they’ll be able to determine exactly who was at fault for what your family member endured.
Any person who is in the facility and has access to your loved one could end up inflicting harm upon them and the other residents. Here are some of the parties who could be held responsible for the abuse of your loved one:
- Doctor
- Nurse
- Licensed assistant
- Other staff member
- Fellow resident
- Janitorial staff
- Cafeteria staff
- Third parties
- Visitors
- Facility
With the help of our Gilbert, AZ nursing home abuse attorney, you can rest assured that the correct party is being held accountable for the abuse they’ve inflicted upon your elderly loved one. We’ll fight for their rights and help ensure the other residents are free from the same mistreatment.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm Will Get Your Loved One Justice
Abuse and neglect from a long-term care facility can leave your older family member feeling vulnerable. They may even be unable to communicate how they’ve been treated, and their demeanor could change completely. Additionally, their mental and physical state could be quickly declining from the abuse. That’s why you need to act quickly.
When you hire our Gilbert, AZ nursing home abuse lawyer, you can feel confident that your legal claim will be as strong as possible and focus on getting your loved one to safety. At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we are dedicated to the victims of abuse and will do everything in our power to hold the negligent party responsible for their actions.
Reach out to our office today so we can get started on your potential claim.