Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility Abuse

Dehydration, malnutrition, falls, bed sores and other abuse

Whether mentally or physically incapacitated, many elderly become vulnerable and no longer able to care for their daily needs. They enter nursing homes or assisted living facilities and rely on the facility’s doctors, nurses, and staff to provide vital care. Increasing numbers of the elderly enter nursing homes for rehabilitative or permanent care.

Many institutions are unable to keep up with the demands required by the increase in residents. Short-staffed nursing homes or those with staff who lack sufficient training are all too common. Tragically, as a result, many elderly residents do not receive proper medical or assistive attention, which can be both negligent and abusive to their well-being, resulting in further debilitating conditions, illness, or death. When nursing home management places profits above quality of care, there may be grounds for legal action.

Indicators of negligence or abuse

How would you know if you or a loved one were a victim of nursing home abuse? While not an indication in every case, common symptoms associated with neglectful or abusive care often include:

  • Dehydration
  • Malnutrition
  • Falls
  • Fractures
  • Infections
  • Pressure ulcers or bed sores
  • Failure to medicate and monitor
  • Overuse of medication

Supervision and monitoring

Residents need sufficient oversight in a variety of ways to keep them safe. Some of the nursing home’s obligations include:

  • Accurate administration of medications
  • Monitoring of physical conditions to avoid falls
  • Emergency medical care for worsening or changing conditions
  • Prevention from wandering off the premises
  • Protection from physical or sexual abuse from other residents
  • Freedom from exploitation of finances

How we can help

McCullough & Leboff can help you determine whether you or your loved one has a claim against the nursing home. Our network of elder care experts includes doctors, nurses, and professionals with nursing home/assisted living management backgrounds. In a coordinated effort, we can discretely evaluate the special circumstances of your claim and gather the evidence to support your case. Our Florida trial lawyers have been very effective in negotiating settlements of these claims, but when the negotiations fail and a lawsuit is necessary to protect an individual’s rights, we are willing to take that step.

Unfortunately, many nursing homes do not correct or accept responsibility for their abuse or neglect unless facing legal action. By pursuing a claim, you often help change the practices of the nursing home to assist other residents in similar dire situations.