NURSING HOME ABUSE LAWYER IN DALLAS
HAS YOUR ELDERLY LOVED ONE BEEN THE VICTIM OF ABUSE?
As a society, we do everything in our power to ensure that our elderly loved ones are comfortable and taken care of. Finding the right nursing home that provides quality healthcare is a critical aspect of this process, and yet more and more nursing homes are being reported for neglecting the needs and health of their residents. Sadly, a majority of the nursing home abuse and neglect that takes place in our nation goes unreported, and it is estimated that between one and two million Americans who are over 65 have suffered abuse, neglect or mistreatment at the hand of primary caregivers.
According to the American Association for Justice, there are currently 1.4 million people who are living in U.S. nursing homes and 90% of these nursing homes have staffing levels too low to provide adequate care. Some of the typical injuries involved in nursing homes result from under-staffing or additional types of negligence and abuse. The injuries include bleeding within the patient's brain, fractures, sexual exploitation and more. If you have suspicions that your elderly loved one is suffering from neglect or a type of abuse, you must take action immediately to protect their rights, their health and their future.
When you call our dallas nursing home abuse attorney from The Law Offices of Allbee & Weaver, we can begin to investigate your suspicions immediately. Some of the types of abuse that may be found include sexual, financial, and psychological abuse, and we know how to protect your loved one's rights when signs of abuse are present.
SIGNS OF ELDER ABUSE
Part of what makes nursing home abuse so dangerous is that it can be difficult to detect. If your elderly loved one is in a nursing home, you must constantly be on the lookout for signs of abuse and pay attention to the smallest of details. These signs can include weight loss, bruises, scrapes, or bed sores, but they may not always be physical. Emotional abuse can include humiliation, insults, threats and attempts to frighten the resident, as well as failure to recognize or regard the resident's wishes. You must also be on the lookout for signs of neglect, which can include failure to change bedding or wash the resident, as well as the withholding of food or water.
CAUSES OF NURSING HOME ABUSE IN TEXAS
From not having enough food to not running heat or air conditioning, many elderly people are forced to live in horrible conditions in nursing homes. Some nursing homes are even guilty of nursing home fraud, which is the crime of billing Medicare or Medicaid for services that aren't actually provided.
Residents who live in unsafe, unsanitary environments and residents who look malnourished or dehydrated may be the helpless victims of this type of fraud. Other mistakes and violations on the behalf of nursing homes can include the following:
Inadequate Staffing
Nursing homes must maintain a staff that is large enough to take proper care of the residents, and yet many homes are reducing hours for their employees in an effort to cut costs. The Nat'l Consumer Voice Advocating Quality Care Long-Term stated that a patient in a nursing facility needs a minimum of 2.8 hrs of actual hands on nursing aid care, another 1.3 hrs of care from a licensed care nurse aid, and at least .75 hrs from an R.N.. Unless these minimum standards are met in order for the resident nursing homes to have good quality of care, they are at a much higher likelihood to suffer poor outcomes. However, more than 97% of nursing facilities simply do not have the necessary amount of nurses and assistants to offer this level of care to their residents.
When this happens, residents are neglected and can suffer from malnutrition, dehydration, starvation or bed sores. In one year, there were 5,000 death certifications of nursing home patients that were related to these causes.
Failure to Compensate Vendors
Nursing homes must pay their food suppliers and providers of clinical lab services, waste disposal (especially medical waste,) trash disposal and also other supplies for the care and nursing duties on behalf of residents, and a failure to pay for these services will result in worse care for residents. In some cases, residents must go without food and water and the appropriate hygiene care because these resources are not available.
CALL A DALLAS NURSING HOME ABUSE ATTORNEY NOW!
If you suspect that your elderly loved one is suffering from abuse, the time to act is now! You can't afford to let this abuse continue any longer, as it will have a direct impact on the well-being of your loved one and their ability to recover. Call our team now for caring help and dedicated representation from a team that truly cares for you and your loved ones.
