If somebody you love has been abused in a nursing home, you can fight back by filing a personal injury claim on your loved one’s behalf. Contact a Detroit nursing home abuse attorney today to get started on your case.
Nursing homes can be a great option for care and support of the elderly when they’re unable to properly care for themselves. But when the decision to place an elder in a nursing home is made, you put your trust in the establishment to provide a safe and caring environment.
When that trust is violated and a vulnerable adult is abused, the entire family will suffer. The adult has been mistreated in the worst possible way, and family members may deal with guilt as though they were somehow responsible.
A Detroit nursing home abuse lawyer can help you hold those responsible for the abuse accountable by filing a personal injury claim. Filing a claim can allow you and your loved one to gain the justice and compensation you deserve and may also help prevent this kind of abuse from happening to others.
Understanding How Abuse Occurs in Detroit Nursing Homes
Nursing home abuse is any abuse against a vulnerable adult within the setting of a nursing home or similar caregiving facility. Abuse can take many forms, and an elder can be subject to multiple types at once.
For example, if your loved one is not being adequately cared for, that is considered neglect. Perhaps he or she is malnourished or underfed, is not receiving care for diagnosed illnesses, or isn’t being bathed regularly. Neglect is serious because elders aren’t always able to voice their concerns, and their health could be severely harmed.
Some other types of nursing home abuse seen in Detroit are described below:
- Physical Abuse – This abuse includes the obvious, such as hitting, pushing, shoving, punching, scratching, and the like. It can also include improper use of restraints, medications, or confinement.
- Sexual Abuse – Sexual abuse of the elderly includes any kind of non-consensual sexual contact.
- Emotional Abuse – Yelling, blaming, verbal intimidation tactics, ridicule, and humiliation are examples of how the elderly can be emotionally abused in a nursing home setting.
- Psychological Abuse – This kind of abuse is usually non-verbal, such as isolating the elderly person from family members and friends or ignoring or terrorizing him or her.
Signs of Abuse to Watch for in Detroit Nursing Homes
If your loved one is in a nursing home, you must watch for the signs and symptoms of abuse. Your intuition should tell you if something’s not right—don’t ignore it. If you suspect abuse, report it early and make sure your loved one is safe. Also, documenting the signs described below will help prove a claim of abuse.
Physical signs and symptoms of abuse include bedsores, bruises, cuts, scrapes, lacerations, broken bones, weight loss, looking disheveled or unclean, repeated illnesses, or marks on the body.
Behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms can be a little more difficult to spot, and some behaviors may seem linked to other causes. Being aware of what to look out for is important so you can catch abuse early.
Some of the behavioral and emotional signs include withdrawal, a lack of interest in activities the elderly person used to enjoy, fearful behaviors, violence or agitation, signs of trauma, seeming confused, depression, and difficulty sleeping. Your nursing home abuse lawyer in Detroit can help you document all the signs relevant to your case.
Who Could Be Liable for Your Loved One’s Abuse?
In addition to the nursing home employee or employees suspected of committing the nursing home abuse against your loved one, you can also name the nursing home in an injury claim.
The organization may be liable for abuses committed by its employees, and it should have measures in place to prevent any such abuses. If the nursing home has failed to protect your loved one, it can be liable for resulting damages. Your nursing home abuse attorney in Detroit can help you determine who exactly to hold financially accountable.
Speak with a Detroit Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Abuse of the elderly is unacceptable, and those responsible for the abuse must be held accountable. That includes the employers and organizations that failed to protect vulnerable adults under their care from abuse.
Nursing homes must make protecting the elderly a priority, and our firm will see to it that an elderly loved one who has suffered abuse will receive justice.
Contact Christensen Law to speak with a Detroit nursing home abuse lawyer about your elder abuse case today. We offer a free claim evaluation when you call 248-900-9000 or complete our online contact form at the bottom of this page.
