Your loved one deserves the quality health care and a nurturing environment in their nursing home. These facilities are meant to meet these expectations so your loved one is safe. When you suspect your loved one isn’t getting the care they deserve or is in an environment that’s detrimental to their health, it can be a scary situation. This can stem from the home having abusive staff members or the home doesn’t have the means to provide your loved one with care. If your loved one has suffered because of their nursing home, you can take legal action to seek justice. A Rio Rancho, NM nursing home abuse lawyer can help you stand up for your loved one.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm understands how elders in nursing homes may not be able to advocate for themselves. We’re here to give your loved one a voice. We will hold the nursing home accountable for the harm they’ve done to your loved one and fight for full and fair compensation for what they’ve been through.
The Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Your nursing home abuse attorney will look into what your loved one went through at their nursing home. It’s possible that what caused their injuries or lack of care stemmed from abuse or neglect, or in some cases both may apply. The different types of abuse include:
- Physical. Using physical force to move your loved one or harm them can result in actions like pushing, shoving, using physical restraints, or hitting.
- Emotional. Emotional or psychological abuse can occur when staff is disrespectful, cruel, or completely ignores your loved one. This can cause a major drop in self-esteem in seniors.
- Financial. If your loved one has valuables in their room, some staff may try to steal these items. In other cases, stealing checks or cash could also occur. Sometimes, your loved one may not realize this is happening until a lot of their money was stolen.
- Sexual. Sexual abuse can also occur at nursing homes. It occurs when anything of a sexual nature happens without consent.
While the situations above usually happen because the person intends to do them, neglect is a bit different, but it can still cause just as much harm. A nursing home may not have enough staff to care for each resident, or they don’t have the experience or skill to properly care for your loved one. Forms of neglect include:
- Malnutrition. When there is a high resident to staff ratio, your loved one may not get the attention they need. This could result in missing meals and snacks, which can lead to rapid weight loss or malnutrition.
- Lack of Help with Routine. Some seniors need help with daily tasks like getting dressed, bathing, using the rest room, brushing their teeth, and other important forms of care that need to occur on a regular basis. Without help, your loved one may not be able to keep up with hygienic routines, or may try to do it themselves. If they are on their own, they may fall and sustain injuries.
- Unclean Clothes/Bedsheets. Having clean clothes and clean sheets shows that your loved one is in an attentive place that makes sure they’re in sanitary conditions and are comfortable. Dirty clothes or bedsheets indicates that someone has not checked in on them in a while, or they are checking in but not taking measures to care for your loved one.
- Medication Errors. If your loved one takes medication, an overwhelmed nursing home may miss giving them doses, or could make a mistake with the dose. This can lead to further health complications.
All these situations can put your loved one’s health and wellbeing at risk. If you’re concerned about your loved one’s treatment at their home, let’s go over red flags to look out for when visiting.
Recognizing Signs of Elder Abuse and Neglect
When you’re looking for signs that a nursing home is mistreating your loved one, there are common signs you can identify that should prompt further questions. They include:
- Physical Injuries. Both minor and major injuries can indicate abuse. Bruises and bumps can show that someone is too rough or gripping them too tightly. If there are more serious injuries like broken bones or injuries from a fall, then this could be a result of shoving.
- Bedsores. These injuries happen when your loved one is in the same spot for too long. When seniors are in a bed or chair and they have trouble moving on their own, they need to be adjusted to shift the pressure, and cushions can alleviate the pressure as well. Bedsores can be painful, and worsen if they’re not treated.
- Change in Attitude. If you notice a shift in your loved one’s demeanor, and they seem more fearful, withdrawn, or agitated, it could be because there’s something going on with how they’re treated.
- Noticing Lack of Cleanliness. Do you see that your loved one hasn’t had a change of clothes, or that their teeth or hair haven’t been brushed, or detect an odor from lack of care? If their room is dusty or has messes that haven’t been cleaned up, then your loved one could be living in state of neglect.
- Intrusive Staff. When staff will not leave you alone with your loved one, then this could be a sign that they’re trying to prevent your loved one from speaking with you.
You may wonder why your loved one hasn’t told you what was happening to them. There are a few reasons that can prevent this. They could be ashamed of what’s happening, scared of retaliation, or they could have issues with communicating what they are experiencing. That’s why it’s so important to know what the signs of abuse and neglect look like.
If you notice these signs and address them with the nursing home but no change occurs, then it’s time to get your loved one to a safe space and get a Rio Rancho nursing home abuse attorney on your side.
A Rio Rancho, NM Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Can Help
As we investigate your loved one’s case, we’ll find out how they were abused or neglected, who was responsible for it, and seek damages to compensate your loved one for what they’ve been through.
We’ll analyze medical records and other evidence to see how your loved one’s health was affected and how long it will take for them to recover from the abuse. Your compensation could include:
- Medical Bills
- Lost Property/Property Damage
- Pain and Suffering
- Emotional Distress
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life
Our lawyers understand how heartbreaking it is when your loved one doesn’t get the care they deserve. We’ll work diligently to build your loved one a strong case so they get compensation to cover the costs of their injuries.
With this financial peace of mind, your loved one can get the care they need. You don’t have to worry about how they’re going to afford the care and you can focus on being there for them.
Explore Your Options with Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm
When your loved one deserves justice, our law firm is here to help. We’ll work with you throughout the legal process so you can show the nursing home that their abuse or neglect was unacceptable, and your loved one suffered because of it. We’ll examine all the evidence to maximize your loved one’s compensation.
To have us get started on your case, call us today for a free case evaluation. We’ll go over what happened to your loved one and review your options on how you can move forward. Our attorneys will help find a solution so you can make a decision that best helps your loved one.
