Are you in need of a nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County offers? Each of our founding partners at Brown Kiely LLP has more than two decades of experience litigating cases in court. Though it may not be necessary to take your case to court, it’s important to work with a skilled nursing home lawyer PG County trusts to protect their loved one. Our attorneys always prepare for the possible eventuality of courtroom litigation, and this prevents us from being taken by surprise. It also pressures the defendant to come to the negotiating table.
The Dangers of Nursing Homes
Many nursing homes are safe, clean, and wonderful places for loved ones to spend their golden years. Most offer some degree of medical care if a resident needs it, a trained staff, and opportunities for socializing within a community of like-minded people. Unfortunately, too many nursing homes are not safe places and their elderly residents can be harmed, sometimes in very serious ways.
A nursing home lawyer in Prince Georges County from Brown Kiely LLP is all too familiar with how residents can be harmed or mistreated. Some of the most common cases are those that involve one or more of the following:
1. Emotional abuse. Nursing home residents are often at the mercy of the staff. They may feel they have little to no power to protect themselves from abusive behavior on the part of the staff. Emotional abuse is serious and can cause the elder to stop eating, experience extreme stress, or undergo other painful suffering. A nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County victims count on from our firm can help right this wrong. Call us for a free consultation with one of our skilled attorneys.
2. Physical abuse. Hitting, slapping, or otherwise physically abusing a nursing home resident in any manner is not acceptable whether it’s one time or ongoing. If you know or suspect that your elderly relative is being abused, it’s important to alert law enforcement immediately. Following your contact with police, consider contacting a nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County families rely on for seeking justice. We may be able to negotiate a settlement for your loved one’s pain and suffering. A settlement can make it possible to provide the physical and emotional care your loved one needs after suffering abuse.
3. Neglect. A nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County respects understands that when an elder is intentionally isolated, removed from their friends and family, ignored, and left to take care of their own physical needs when they may be incapable of doing so, it can be devastating for the elder.
What do I do if I think my parent is being abused in a nursing home?
An experienced nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County offers has probably seen some of the worst cases of nursing home abuse, including unimaginable scenarios of neglect. Sometimes it requires the help of a knowledgeable nursing home lawyer in Prince Georges County to help right the wrongs involving assisted living facilities. If someone even suspects that their loved one may be experiencing abuse in a care facility, they have a moral, ethical, and legal obligation to take action. Call the police and request a welfare check. Then, call a nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County families trust.
Common Signs of Abuse in Nursing Homes
When a family places their loved one with care and consideration into a nursing home, they have the right to expect their elder’s needs will be attended to by the facility’s staff. They certainly do not expect that their family member will be mistreated or harmed in any way. As a nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County community members turn to can tell you, harm and neglect in nursing homes is all too common. And because elders often require specialized care, even seemingly simple tasks such as those relating to personal hygiene must be held to a high standard or else the resident is at risk for serious infections and other concerns. How does a family member who is not in daily contact with their elder know when something is amiss? It can be difficult to determine, but here are many of the most common signs that a resident may be neglected or abused while in the care of a nursing home:
1. Bed sores, abrasions, cuts, bruises. These may be signs of physical abuse, but they can also be signs of neglect. A simple cut, even a paper cut, can become irritated and infected if not treated. An elder may no longer have the capacity to provide adequate self-treatment. It is up to the nursing home staff to ensure that each resident is as cared for as well as a family member would take care of them, or as well as the person was once able to care for themselves. A nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County locals recommend from our firm can review your case at no charge to help you determine what steps to take next.
2. Fear of people, a particular person or persons, anxiety, a need to suddenly isolate themselves. Dramatic changes in behavior, such as described, can indicate an abuser is in your loved one’s presence or life. Nursing home staff have enormous influence and power over your elder and they can easily abuse it. In more severe cases, a staff member or members may take advantage and abuse them physically, mentally, and sexually.
3. Concerns voiced by your loved one. It may seem ludicrous that highly trained and professional caregivers might harm your elder who is in their care. However, it happens all too frequently. Listen to your elder and act on their concerns by investigating and possibly moving them to a different facility.
Remember: if you believe your loved one is in harm’s way in a nursing home, call the police without delay and request a welfare check of your elder. Next, contact a nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County children rely on to help protect their loved one.
Do Not Delay in Seeking Help from a PG County Nursing Home Lawyer
When an elder loved one has been injured due to negligence or intentional harm, it’s critical to protect their safety, health, and legal rights immediately. We can help. If you are in need of a skilled nursing home lawyer Prince Georges County turns to for legal help, contact Brown Kiely LLP at 301-718-4548.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from LAW Firm, for their insight into nursing home law.