As your loved one ages, you may find that they need attentive, professional care. While the decision to have your loved one move to a nursing home can be emotional, you can have peace of mind that your loved one has staff to take care of them. However, some homes may not provide your loved one with the care and safe environment they deserve. When nursing homes have abusive or negligent staff, your loved one’s health can decline. Our law firm can help you fight for your loved one. A Las, Cruces, NM nursing home abuse lawyer can stand up for your loved one’s rights.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm understands the betrayal you feel when you put your trust in a nursing home to care for your loved one and they cause harm. When you’re helping your loved one get to safe place and get treatment for any injuries they’ve sustained, we can step in and take care of the legal claim so you can focus on your loved one. Our attorneys will hold the abusive or negligent nursing home accountable for their actions.
Abuse or Neglect: What Your Loved One Experienced
While abuse and neglect might be used interchangeably when describing mistreatment in a nursing home, they cover different types of harm. Abuse typically covers actions with intent, whereas neglect can occur regardless of intent. The types of abuse include:
- Physical. Using excessive force, shoving, or hitting residents are forms of physical abuse.
- Psychological/Emotional. When staff are using rude language, are demeaning, or ignore your loved one, this can make them feel isolated. Feeling alone has a significant negative impact on anyone, but especially seniors.
- Sexual. Any interaction of a sexual nature without consent is considered abuse. Many residents in nursing homes may have dementia or other cognitive health issues that can make it difficult for them to remember this is happening.
- Financial. Staff may take advantage of your loved one’s financial status and steal cash, checks, or expensive belongings.
Neglect covers different areas. This occurs when the home doesn’t have experienced staff or number of staff to properly attend to their residents. As a result, your loved one may not get a lot of one-on-one interaction with those in charge of their care. If your loved one has an emergency, there could be a slow response time because there are so many residents to help. The following situations can arise if your loved one is being neglected:
- Missed Medication
- Lack of General Care
- Malnutrition/Dehydration
All these types of abuse and neglect can severely affect your loved one’s health. Out of the types of abuse and neglect, there are some that are more common than others. The top types of abuse complaints in U.S. nursing home break down into the following percentages:
- Physical Abuse: 29%
- Resident to Resident Abuse: 22%
- Psychological Abuse: 21%
- Gross Neglect: 14%
- Financial Exploitation: 7%
- Sexual Abuse: 7%
When you have a Las Cruces, NM nursing home abuse lawyer on your side, you can rest assured that we’ll find out how your loved one was harmed in their nursing home. As we investigate the case, we’ll look for evidence of the points above. You may have observed symptoms or conditions that would show your loved one wasn’t being treated fairly. Let’s take a look at the signs that can indicate your loved one may be suffering abuse or neglect.
How Can You Tell If Nursing Home Abuse Is Occurring?
If you’re wondering if your loved one is in an abusive or neglectful environment, you can look out for certain red flags. Frequent injuries like bumps, bruises, or broken bones can indicate physical abuse. Staff may be too rough with your loved one or could resort to violence through hitting or slapping. If your loved one seems withdrawn or depressed, it could be due to psychological abuse. Sometimes, abusive staff will prevent your loved one from seeing others and their only interaction is with staff who treated them with cruelty.
Other injuries like bed sores, or pressure sores, can show that your loved one is left in the same position for hours during the day. Residents who are in bed or sitting need to have regular adjustments using cushions. When this doesn’t happen, bed sores can form. If left untreated, these injuries can require surgery.
If you notice your loved one isn’t in fresh clothes, has lost weight, or you can tell that no one has assisted them with bathing or brushing their teeth, then they may be in a neglectful environment.
When your loved one is in a nursing home for memory care, they may have trouble communicating what’s happening to them. But there are other reasons that can affect residents in assisted living facilities, too.
Your loved one may seem fearful, which could be because they’re scared to be in the home and are scared of retaliation if they tell you what’s going on. If you notice that staff will not allow you and your loved one to have one-on-one time, then this could be an intimidation tactic so your loved one feels they cannot confide in you.
When you see these signs, you can speak up for your loved one. If you bring up your loved one’s treatment and the nursing home doesn’t take steps to address them, then our nursing home abuse lawyers will step in and advocate for your loved one.
A Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Will Fight for Your Loved One
When we’re seeking justice for your loved one, we’ll launch a full investigation of their nursing home in New Mexico. We’ll look into the care your loved one needed and who provided that care. A Las Cruces, NM nursing home abuse lawyer will see who your loved one interacted with on a regular basis and who could have possibly caused the abuse or neglect.
Our nursing home abuse attorneys will calculate what your loved one has suffered from their injuries and damages. We’ll fight for their compensation to cover these costs and allow them to have the recovery they deserve. The compensation can include:
- Medical Expenses
- Property Damage
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life
- Mental Anguish
- Pain and Suffering
Our experienced nursing home abuse lawyer from Las Cruces, NM will stand up to the nursing home and hold them accountable. We won’t let them intimidate you into settling the case if it’s for far less than what your loved one deserves. We’ll seek full and fair recovery for your loved one and can proceed to court if necessary.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm Is Here for You
When negligent and abusive nursing homes harm your loved one, our law firm can help you fight for your loved one. We understand how abuse can severely affect your loved one and that they may have a long road of recovery ahead of them. We will stand by your side and fight for compensation and accountability.
We’re ready to protect your loved one’s rights. Contact our office today for a free case evaluation, where you’ll speak with one of our skilled Las Cruces, NM nursing home abuse lawyers about what occurred at your loved one’s nursing home and how we can help. We’ll work together to find the best way forward for your loved one.
