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Today, more than 1 million patients reside in nursing homes across the country. These elderly residents are an exceptionally vulnerable group, more prone to neglect because of mental or physical disablement. While it’s difficult to know for certain how many residents are suffering from neglect in nursing homes, a comprehensive article published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that approximately 10 percent of patients face some sort of abuse including physical, psychological, verbal, and sexual trauma.
Elder neglect can manifest in a number of ways, including medical inattention, neglect of personal hygiene, and ignoring a resident by continually leaving them alone or failing to provide them with enough social and emotional care. At Dalli & Marino, we understand how stressful it can be to watch your loved ones face any form of trauma, pain, or distress. If you believe that a member of your family is caught up in a harmful or neglectful situation, contact a member of our legal team who may be able to assist.
What Are the Common Forms of Nursing Home Negligence?
At Dalli & Marino, our New York City nursing home negligence lawyers can help you determine whether your loved one has been mistreated. Though nursing home neglect takes many forms that can damage a resident emotionally, physically, and financially, the most common manifestations of nursing home neglect involve the following elements:
- Failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent slip and fall injuries and similar damages
- Failure to provide proper nutrition and hydration
- Failure to assist in personal hygiene
- Over- or under-medicating
- Physical and sexual abuse
- Use of unwarranted chemical or physical restraints
- Failure to provide medical care
- Failure to prevent bedsores
- Failure to prevent residents from leaving the facility
- Wrongful death
As the elderly population increases and society begins to favor nursing home care over in-home care, family members must be vigilant in order to protect senior citizens from harm. Understanding the signs of neglect is of the utmost importance. If you suspect that your family member is being mistreated in their nursing home, it’s important that you broach the subject with them and contact a lawyer who may be able to help.
How Can You Tell If Your Loved One Is Being Neglected?
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell if a loved one is caught up in a harmful or neglectful situation. Generally, if there are sudden changes in their behavior and disposition or conflict between your loved one and their caregiver, you should keep an eye out for further signs of neglect or abuse. Here are a few to keep in mind:
- If your loved one is not taking their medications properly, has unexplained injuries, or shows physical signs of restraint, they may be physically abused
- If you observe controlling conduct on the part of the caregiver or if you notice unusual behavior in your loved one including symptoms of dementia, there may be emotional or psychological abuse occurring
- Stained underwear, vaginal or anal bleeding, bruising near the genitals, or unexplained STDs may be signs of sexual abuse
- If you notice any unexplained changes to your loved one’s bank account, a sudden alteration to a life insurance policy or will, or missing cash from the elder’s room, they may be facing some form of financial abuse
- Neglect can manifest in a number of ways, including caregivers leaving your loved one alone in a public place, not bathing them, leaving them inappropriately dressed for the weather, and providing them with unsafe living conditions such as a lack of heat or running water
If a caregiver refuses to let you be alone with your loved one, you’re right to be suspicious.
If you notice any of these signs or are apprehensive at all, contact an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer.
What to Say to Your Loved One If You Suspect Neglect or Abuse
If you suspect your elderly loved one has experienced nursing home neglect or abuse, try bringing up the issue with them. If you’re able to visit your loved one in person, try to take them to a quiet and confidential area of their care facility. Residents may be afraid to bring up issues if they think others will eavesdrop or hear. Likewise, be direct and specific when bringing up your concerns. Tell your loved one about what makes you worried. Whether it’s signs of physical abuse, worsening health, malnutrition, or poor hygiene, make sure they know you’re aware and worried.
If your relative is unresponsive to these questions or if you ultimately decide there’s a good chance they’ve been subject to abuse or neglect, contact a credible nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible. At Dalli & Marino, our legal team may be able to help you hold the negligent party accountable for their actions. We know nursing home abuse and neglect can have devastating effects on you and your loved ones and we want to help you obtain justice.
Call an Expert Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in New York City
When you place your elderly family member in a nursing home, you’re putting a large amount of trust in the establishment and its staff to care for and respect them. When that trust is broken in the form of elder neglect, it can lead to serious illness, severe injury, psychological damage, and even death. If you believe that a member of your family is caught up in a harmful or neglectful situation, contact the trusted attorneys at Dalli & Marino.
We’re a group of experienced lawyers who understand New York regulations and government healthcare. Our verdicts and settlements have recovered millions of dollars for our clients since 1996. We approach each case on an individual basis and serve to help you or your loved one recover the money you need to compensate for your injury or illness. Call (888) 465-8790 or complete our contact form today.
Dalli & Marino, LLP serves New York City, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Westchester County.
