Nursing Home Abuse
January 3, 2019
When families can no longer provide the medical care needed for an elderly loved one, they are often faced with the difficult decision of sending them to a nursing home facility where they will receive 24-hour care. The staff at a nursing home can closely monitor the residents’ health and provide the skilled and compassionate medical care they need. Unfortunately, many nursing home facilities are understaffed thanks to budget cuts. Too often, the residents are the ones who suffer the consequences, including neglect, malnutrition, and infections. In extreme cases, severe negligence can cause tragic fatalities. If your loved one has been neglected or abused in a nursing home facility, an experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help you pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Types of Abuse at Nursing Homes
According to the National Center for Adult Abuse, close to two million nursing home residents are abused each year in facilities across the country. In addition, because elderly residents may have a difficult time communicating their abuse to family members or staff for various reasons, a large percentage of cases go unreported so that number is much larger. The following are the most common types of elder abuse:
- Physical Abuse: This is the most common type of abuse in nursing homes. The most common signs of physical abuse include cuts, bruises, torn or bloody clothing, pulled out hair, or broken bones.
- Emotional Abuse: Examples of emotional abuse include intimidation, humiliation, isolating the patient from family, other residents, or activities, mocking the patient, or terrorizing the patient. Signs of abuse include behavior changes, erratic mood swings, and unexplained crying.
- Neglect: Signs of neglect include malnourishment or dehydration, unwashed clothing or bed linens, and failing to administer medication properly.
- Sexual Abuse: Common signs of sexual abuse include bruising in breast or genital region, bloody undergarments, or bleeding around the genital or anal area.
Regardless of budget cuts, overworked staff, and stressful work conditions, medical malpractice in nursing homes is entirely unacceptable. Whether a resident has suffered from a debilitating stroke, has advanced Alzheimer’s Disease, or has any other condition that requires round-the-clock care, the nursing home staff has a responsibility to provide professional, compassionate care. Growing old is a fact of life, but the elderly should be treated with the respect, compassion, and kindness they deserve. A medical malpractice lawyer can help families protect the rights of their elderly loved ones who have been victims of nursing home abuse by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Advocate for Victims of Nursing Home Abuse
If your elderly loved one has been abused or neglected while being cared for at a nursing home facility, it is in your best interest to contact the highly skilled Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton at your earliest convenience. We will conduct a thorough investigation of the facility and determine whether the staff was negligent in any way. Our experienced and compassionate legal team will seek the maximum financial compensation you deserve. To schedule a free, confidential consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent medical malpractice victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.
