Entrusting a loved one’s daily care to a nursing home or other type of long-term care facility can be difficult for any family. You may have concerns about whether your family member will receive the compassion and care you expect and pay for. While most nursing home staff members are qualified, well-trained, and dedicated to their jobs and the residents, some facilities fail to provide appropriate care due to understaffing, lack of administrative support, poor training, or simple negligence.
There are no circumstances that justify the abuse or neglect of vulnerable nursing home residents. A respected personal injury lawyer like Founding Partner Jon Ostroff can help you take action against such mistreatment. Let our Allentown nursing home abuse lawyers at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers build a case against the negligent care facility.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Nursing Home Mistreatment in Allentown
Identifying neglectful and abusive conditions inside a nursing home can be challenging, even for the most observant family members. Staff members and administrators may go to great lengths to hide the true depth of mistreatment at their facilities. Additionally, nursing home residents often have trouble communicating, remembering, and reporting mistreatment themselves, either because they are afraid of retaliation or because they are physically or cognitively unable to communicate what they are going through.
Because of that, it is important to be aware of common signs that abuse or neglect may be occurring in a long-term care facility. You should be on the lookout for:
- Bedsores, bruises, sprains, and abrasions that appear without explanation;
- Sudden changes in a resident’s behavior or personality, especially around a particular staff member;
- Refusal by facility employees to answer questions and/or allow private visits with residents in a timely fashion;
- Signs of malnutrition or dehydration; and
- Unclean living conditions
A nursing home neglect attorney can assess your loved one’s circumstances in a confidential setting and determine whether further action is warranted.
Recovering Civil Compensation on a Family Member’s Behalf
Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have a legal duty to look out for the wellbeing of residents. Any failure to do so—whether through negligence or through intentionally malicious actions—could serve as grounds for civil litigation. In a lawsuit or settlement, an injured nursing home resident can pursue compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses
- Psychological trauma
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Damage to personal property
If mistreatment at a nursing home is so severe that it leads directly to your loved one’s premature death, you and other surviving family members may be eligible to demand restitution through a wrongful death claim. A lawyer in at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers in Allentown can help you calculate all the potential damages in a nursing home abuse case.
Talk to an Allentown Nursing Home Abuse Attorney About Legal Options
Nursing home abuse has become an epidemic over the last few years. If you suspect your loved one is being subjected to neglect, abuse, or any other form of mistreatment in an assisted living facility, act quickly to protect your loved one’s safety and legal rights.
An Allentown nursing home abuse lawyer can provide tailored legal guidance throughout your case. Call today for a free consultation with an attorney from Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers.
