When you take an elderly loved one to a nursing home to live, you have no choice but to trust they will provide the care your loved one needs. Unfortunately, many nursing homes neglect or abuse residents, cause severe injuries and lower quality of life.
At Phillips Law Group, we understand how devastating nursing home neglect and abuse can be. Families whose loved ones were victimized can contact us for a free consultation to determine if the abusers can be held liable and if compensation may be available. Our firm has represented injury victims for 27 years, recovering more than $1 billion in compensation.
There is no risk in contacting our Yuma nursing home abuse attorneys because there is no obligation to take legal action. If you have a case and we represent you, we will not charge legal fees unless recover compensation.
Who is Liable for My Loved One’s Injuries and Damages?
One of the factors our attorneys consider when determining if you have a case is liability. Some of the parties who could potentially be held liable may include:
Facility owners whether they are individuals, families or corporate entities
Employees as they are often the abusers, including nurses, nursing assistants, nutritionists, administrators and others
Third parties such as vendors, medical equipment providers and contractors
These individuals or entities can potentially be held liable for abuse. They could also be at fault for neglect, as nursing home residents are entitled to have some basic needs met, such as:
Shelter
Food
Water
Medical care
Proper hygiene
Clean and safe surroundings
There are many reasons why residents are not properly cared for, including:
Understaffed
Poor training
Errors with medications
Failing to monitor residents appropriately
Failing to identify medical issues
Poor security on the premises
These could all be examples of negligence that caused injury to a nursing home resident. The attorneys at Phillips Law Group have many years of experience proving negligence in personal injury claims.
Call us any time to set up your free consultation. 602-222-2222
Types of Nursing Homes
The level of care that must be provided to residents depends on the type of facility:
Adult Boarding Facilities ”“ These are often in a residential areas and are run by families, individuals or businesses.
Residential Care Facilities ”“ These places usually have a limit of 20 residents who can receive personal care 24 hours a day. Medical and nursing care are generally not provided.
Intermediate Care Facilities ”“ These places typically have about 15 residents and do not have skilled nursing care 24 hours a day.
Skilled Nursing Facilities ”“ These facilities are staffed by professional nurses and therapists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What Are My Loved One’s Rights?
State and federal law provide for numerous rights for nursing home residents and those in other types of care facilities. This includes the right to:
Appropriate medical care and to be involved in their treatment plan
Manage their own moneyand assets
Privacywith their belongings and in communicating with family
Decide what activities they want to participate in
Be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of health issues
To be informedof fees, medical records and rules and regulations at the facility
If these or any other rights were violated, and your loved one suffered damages, you may have a claim against the facility or individuals responsible for neglect or abuse.
There can be several different forms of nursing home abuse, including:
Neglect
This occurs when a resident’s needs are ignored, often because a facility is understaffed or staff members failed to check on a resident for a prolonged period of time.
Some examples of neglect include:
Malnutrition, which can lead to significant weight loss, repeated infections and dry skin
Dehydration, resulting in excessive thirst, canker sores and dry skin
Overmedication, which can cause too much sleep, seizures, hallucinations and social withdrawal
Bed/pressure sores, which look like blisters
Physical Abuse
There are numerous examples of physical abuse suffered by nursing home residents, including hitting, kicking, slapping, punching, shoving or biting. This can result in injuries like:
Burns
Concussions
Bruises
Broken bones
Cuts
Internal injuries
Sexual Abuse
This is non-consensual sexual contact between the resident and someone else. Some of the signs of sexual abuse include:
Difficulty walking and/or sitting
Depression
Panic attacks
Attempts/thoughts of suicide
Feeling agitated
Injuries to the pelvic area
Emotional Abuse
A common example is a staff member repeatedly yelling at a resident. Nursing home residents could also be threatened, socially isolated, bullied or made fun of. Some of the telltale signs of emotional abuse could be:
Rapid weight loss
Lack of appetite
Lack of enthusiasm
Depression
Social withdrawal
Anxiety
Financial Abuse
This is when someone steals a resident’s money or makes use of their financial assets through coercion or without the resident’s knowledge. Signs of this may include unusual withdrawals from bank accounts, unusual purchases, or missing personal items.
Our Yuma nursing home abuse lawyers protect the rights of residents.
Reporting Nursing Home Abuse
Numerous health care professionals are mandated reporters of nursing home abuse, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, dentists, social workers, and interns (Arizona Revised Statutes § 46-451).
Loved ones of the abused individual can also report abuse to the following authorities:
Local Police
Department of Health
Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Adult Protective Services
Arizona Attorney General
In emergencies, call 9-1-1 so the right people can be dispatched to the scene.
Set up a Free Consultation with a Yuma Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
In nearly three decades, Phillips Law Group has provided legal representation to 155,000 consumer clients. We have a proven record of success ”“ we have obtained more than $1 billion in injury compensation.
We know how complex nursing home abuse cases can be and are prepared to manage the process on your behalf. We want you to have the time to focus on caring for your loved one.
The consultation with our Yuma nursing home abuse lawyers comes free of charge. At Phillips Law Group, our lawyers are not paid unless our clients are paid first.
Phillips Law Group. Free Consultations. 602-222-2222