When an older loved one moves from their house to a nursing home, you expect them to receive the best care possible in light of mobility and any health issues they have. Sadly, not all nursing home residents receive the assistance and care they should. If your elderly family member was harmed in some way during their stay at an assisted living facility, contact an Upper Marlboro nursing home abuse lawyer immediately.
Please trust an experienced attorney to counsel your family and give suggestions for moving forward with the case, such as filing a legal claim against the offending facility. A local personal injury attorney can work hard on behalf of your family to hopefully result in significant compensation.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene monitors all nursing home facilities in the state. These facilities must maintain safe, hazard-free premises where older individuals are free from abuse. If a facility does not have policies designed to prevent senior abuse, they become subject to legal action.
Attorneys who work on nursing facility abuse cases typically want to know whether a comprehensive care plan is available to every resident, whether each resident has access to healthy food and bathroom facilities, and can communicate their needs to staff members. Legal professionals also want to know if every resident receives adequate care. If health complications arise, such as sores from extended bed rest, the nursing home staff must take care of the affected individuals until their conditions subside or heal.
Unfortunately, nursing home residents can experience a wide range of abuses that cause their families to seek attorney assistance. Some of the most common types of abuse residents face at the hands of staff members include:
Abused elderly family members might have noticeable bruises or cuts or appear withdrawn and scared. Nervous and anxious feelings are often more common when seniors are in the presence of their abusers. Other warning signs include depression, insomnia, loss of appetite, weakened immunity, and PTSD.
It can take time to recover from the mental and emotional trauma of elder abuse, which allows family members to request non-economic as well as economic damages from the defendant. Economic damages typically include any medical care and physical therapy expenses the older loved one needs due to a lack of nursing facility services and counseling. Non-economic damages include mental anguish, emotional distress, and general pain and suffering. It is also possible to request punitive damages in nursing home cases since most plaintiffs suffered intentionally. Punitive damages punish defendants for grossly horrific behavior, and Maryland has no caps on such damages.
The shock and anger over an abused older family member can take time to deal with. Be proactive about your feelings by contacting an Upper Marlboro nursing home abuse lawyer. You and family members from other residents can potentially bring a more significant case against the offending institution.
Contact our firm today to learn how we will fight for your older loved ones’ rights.
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