After a lifetime of working and caring for others, your elderly loved one deserves the physical and mental wellbeing of a happy retirement. Assisted living communities offer social interaction, a full and productive lifestyle, safety, and just the right support for seniors. Today’s assisted living communities are constantly evolving to better serve an active generation of seniors. Many assisted living communities offer a variety of care with services ranging from independent living, assistance with activities related to daily living, and memory care.
Unfortunately, Brooklyn assisted living facilities sometimes fail to provide adequate care to our senior loved ones when they are at their most vulnerable. This neglect may be inflicted by members of the staff, other patients, and even visitors. When mistreatment results in unnecessary injuries, pain, and emotional or monetary damage, it’s often referred to as assisted living facility negligence. If you have reason to suspect that your loved one has been neglected at an assisted living facility in Brooklyn, reach out to the experienced New York elder abuse and neglect attorneys at Dalli & Marino.
What Is an Assisted Living Facility?
Assisted living provides long-term housing and care for seniors. These residents are typically active but may need support with activities such as dressing, bathing, and going to the bathroom. Residents can expect nutritious meals, personalized care, various social activities that cater to their interests, and a sense of community in a secure and residential setting.
Assisted living facilities differ from nursing homes in that nursing homes require around-the-clock care and monitoring. Nursing home residents typically live with more complex healthcare conditions that require the assistance of a skilled nurse or physical therapist. By contrast, those in an assisted living community usually require custodial care. It might be a person who lives with memory loss and isn’t safe living alone or an adult with mobility problems who needs help transferring from their bed to their chair.
Signs of Neglect at an Assisted Living Facility
There are many behavioral, emotional, and physical symptoms that may indicate neglect. It’s crucial to actively engage with your elderly loved one and remain on the lookout for behavioral changes. Taking an interest in their day-to-day life will often clue you in when something is wrong. Some examples of neglect at an assisted living facility include:
- Inadequate hiring practices: Assisted living facilities are responsible for ensuring that the employees they hire are trained, licensed, and qualified for the job. When a facility fails to train its employees or do their due diligence during the hiring process, they can be held responsible for any resulting injuries.
- Unsafe premises: Even though assisted living facilities don’t provide the same level of care as a nursing home, they do house residents who require help that they can’t get at home. When the premises aren’t kept reasonably safe, or there’s a known hazard at the facility that’s not quickly corrected, they may be considered negligent.
- Failure to adhere to food and health department requirements: Assisted living facilities often have dining halls and health centers. If a patient becomes ill due to poor food storage, for example, the facility may be held responsible.
- Neglecting resident’s needs: If a resident in an assisted living facility isn’t given the daily standard of care they need—such as hygiene, food, or hydration—the facility may be found negligent for any illnesses, injuries, or deaths that occur as a result.
- Failure to seek medical care or treatment: If a resident is injured, even if the injury isn’t the result of negligence, the facility must seek medical treatment in-house or care out of the facility for that patient right away.
In general, an assisted living facility has a legal duty to monitor the elderly and at-risk residents they oversee. If the facility and its personnel are negligent and don’t appropriately monitor their residents, they may be held liable in an assisted living facility negligence lawsuit.
Suing an Assisted Living Facility for Negligence
If you think your loved one has been neglected at an assisted living facility, speak with an assisted living facility negligence attorney at Dalli & Marino who can advise you of your rights and the potential value of your damages. This may include payment for medical bills, lost wages, lost services, loss of earning capacity, physical pain and suffering, and emotional trauma.
It’s important to note that some lawsuits need to be filed before an impending expiration date known as the statute of limitations. As such, it’s essential that you call or contact us right away to ensure that you don’t waive your right to compensation.
Call an Experienced Assisted Living Facility Neglect Lawyer in Brooklyn
If you think that a member of your family is caught up in a neglectful situation at an assisted living facility in Brooklyn, contact the trusted attorneys at Dalli & Marino. We’re a group of seasoned lawyers who understand New York regulations and government healthcare. Our team of highly trained trial attorneys will best be able to help you evaluate the compensation you may be awarded based on the circumstances of your case.
At Dalli & Marino, our settlements and verdicts have recovered millions of dollars for our clients since 1996. We address each case on an individual basis and are dedicated to helping you or your loved one recover the money you need to compensate for your loved one’s injury or illness. Give us a call at (888) 465-8790 or complete our contact form today.