Elderly Abuse

The Villages Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys

Elderly abuse occurs when a caregiver or another person in a relationship of trust or care for an older person either commits an intentional act or fails to act in a way that creates harm or the risk of damage to the elderly person.

Elder abuse and neglect can involve various issues, including physical abuse, negligent care, sexual abuse, and financial exploitation. While the effects of elder abuse are sometimes evident, such as visible bruises from physical harm or even the wrongful death of the individual, the signs of elder abuse can often be less apparent or even concealed.

You cannot assume that victims of patients abuse or neglect will report what is happening to them. Often, they are too afraid or embarrassed to report incidents of abuse, and, in other cases, they may have cognitive or physical impairments that prevent them from telling anyone what is happening.

Suppose you suspect that a family member has been the victim of elderly abuse or may have been unfairly taken advantage of by a caregiver, an elderly care facility, or a nursing home. In that case, The Villages nursing home abuse attorneys can assist you with taking the necessary legal action to prevent further abuse and compensate your loved one and you for damages resulting from the abuse.

Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse

Approximately 1.5 million people are cared for in nursing home across the country. Too often, these facilities are understaffed and the result is that residents end up neglected or abused, resulting in injuries or even death. While some injuries can be related to the person’s medical condition or age, the fact remains that many cases of nursing home injuries occur because of neglect and/or abuse.

Nursing homes are businesses and oftentimes these for-profit facilities place business decisions ahead of the residents for whom they are supposed to be providing quality care. It is never acceptable for nursing home corporations to allow neglect or abuse to take place, and The Villages nursing home neglect attorneys have the experience to fight these businesses at trial so that you and your loved ones recover a full and fair settlement.

Recognizing and Addressing Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Homes

Nursing home neglect is the failure to provide a person with the services and care needed to ensure that he or she will be free from harm or pain. Neglect occurs when a caregiver or nursing home employee fails to respond promptly to a dangerous situation, resulting in harm or distress to the resident.

Nursing home neglect can include:

• Failing to seek out and provide essential medical care
• Failing to ensure adequate hygiene
• Failing to provide essential hydration
• Failing to provide essential nutrition
• Failing to ensure the resident is properly clothed
• Failing to support the resident’s need for assistance with basic activities of daily living
• Failing to provide adequate shelter

What to Watch For

The elderly patient may not report abuse, so family, friends, and caregivers should watch for red flags. Keep in mind that signs of abuse can be both physical and psychological:

Injuries Can Include The Following:

• Malnutrition: Nursing home staff must ensure residents receive the nutrients necessary to remain safe and healthy.
• Dehydration: Proper hydration is needed to sustain health and support critical bodily functions. In the elderly population, failure to provide clean drinking water can be life-threatening.
• Bed or Pressure Sores: Proper care can prevent them by helping individuals turn in bed and supporting their mobility needs. Evidence of bed sores can signal abandonment or abuse.
• Cuts, Bruises, and Fractures: A nursing home resident may receive injuries from slip and fall accidents due to lack of adequate supervision and may even receive bruises or cuts from physical abuse by a caregiver or nursing home staff member.
• Burns and Scarring: are signs of abuse. If properly cared for, a nursing home resident should never face a situation where burns and scars are evident.
• Poor Hygiene: If a nursing home resident shows signs of unmet basic hygiene needs, it indicates neglect, abuse, or abandonment.
• Mental or Verbal Abuse: Mental and verbal abuse can be devastating to a nursing home resident. Not only is it intimidating, but this type of abuse can result in depression and other psychological disorders.
• Sexual Abuse and/or Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Elder sexual abuse can cause pelvic, genital, and anal injuries and other trauma signs STD. Psychological signs are panic attacks, agitation, signs of PTDS, social withdrawal, and suicide attempts.
• Improper Administration of Medication: Improper medication administration or withholding can lead to serious physical and psychological harm, potentially resulting in death.
• Wrongful Death: Nursing home abuse can cause pain and even premature death for residents.

Financial Elder Abuse

Most cases of financial elder abuse involve some level of persuasion or coercion to gain access to the senior’s assets. It is not uncommon for the abuser to be someone the elderly person or family trusts such as a caretaker, family member, friend or even a well-known professional such as a stockbroker or financial advisor.

Financial elderly abuse commonly involves the following:

• Loss of Stocks
• Improper Investments
• Loss of Real Estate
• Investment Fraud
• Mortgage Loan Fraud

If someone you love has been the victim of financial elderly abuse in The Villages or Lake, Marion, or Sumter County, contact the elderly abuse attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or call us at 352-369-5334 so that we can work towards recovering any monetary loss.