Englewood Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
When people decide to place their loved ones into a nursing home, they trust that the nursing home will provide their loved ones with the extensive care they need. Unfortunately, sometimes instead of receiving care, residents may suffer injuries due to the negligence of the nursing home facility.
Your family might be entitled to compensation if your loved one suffered harm while in a nursing home. Contact an Englewood nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible to discuss the details of your case to see if you have a viable suit for compensation.
Common Injuries Sustained as a Result of Nursing Home Abuse
Since residents of nursing homes are often elderly or have underlying health conditions, sometimes they suffer injuries. Some of those injuries are unavoidable, but others occur as a result of negligence on the part of the nursing home or its staff. Some of the more common injuries resulting from nursing home negligence are as follows:
- Falls resulting in head injuries and bone fractures
- Overdose or other problems resulting from medication errors, such as the failure to give medication on time
- Unexplained weight loss
- Malnutrition
- Infections due to unsanitary conditions
- Bedsores
- Poor hygiene
What is the Duty of Care Owed by Nursing Home Facilities in Englewood?
The staff of nursing homes in Englewood owes a duty of reasonable care to all of their residents. Nursing homes must adequately train their staff to safely care for their residents. Each nursing home staff member must care for their residents in the same way that another reasonable nursing home employee would care for their residents. For example, nursing homes need to educate their staff about the need to change resident’s positions to prevent bedsores. If a nursing home resident suffers bedsores because a staff member failed to move them, then that resident or their family could bring suit for negligence against both the staff member and the nursing home.
A skilled Englewood attorney could help by reviewing the employee handbook to see if the nursing home had a reasonable bedsore prevention plan and to see if the nursing home was negligent and/or abusive in their execution of that plan.
Deliberate Nursing Home Abuse
It is not always simple to confirm that a loved one has suffered intentional abuse in a nursing home because sometimes signs of abuse can be confused with symptoms of the natural aging process. If someone believes that their family member is suffering deliberate nursing home abuse, they should look carefully for any of the following indicators:
Emotional Abuse Signs
Emotional signs of behavior are not always easy to see. However, some of the more telling signs include:
- Changes in behavior or personality
- Showing fear or anger towards staff
- Becoming more easily upset or agitated
Physical Abuse Signs
Physical abuse can be obvious, but sometimes injuries can go unseen if family members do not perform regular checks. Some signs include:
- Bruises, welts, swelling, and burns
- Broken bones
- Cuts, scratches or marks that could indicate pinching
- Signs of excessive or unreasonable restraint
- If the nursing home refuses to allow family members to visit a resident
Sometimes, family members are direct witnesses to elder abuse, such as when they see staff members scolding or striking their loved ones. At other times, however, they may have to search for signs of emotional and physical abuse.
Reach Out to an Englewood Attorney for Help
Residents of nursing homes deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and not with neglect or abuse. If you suspect that a caregiver is treating your loved one unfairly, you should reach out to a local attorney who has experience with nursing home neglect and abuse. An Englewood nursing home abuse lawyer will work tirelessly on behalf of your family to try to obtain your family the relief that you deserve. To get started on your case, be sure to schedule a consultation today.
