Hollywood Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

Common Types of Abuse in Nursing Homes

There are many types of abuse that can happen in nursing homes. In some cases, the following types of abuse can start out gradually and become more physical and violent with time.

• Physical abuse. This can involve hitting, slapping, pushing, or using excessive force to cause harm. It can escalate over time and cause bruises, broken bones, and even fatalities.
• Psychological abuse. This form of abuse often includes verbal insults, threats, or other behaviors that cause emotional pain and suffering. It can leave a senior feeling frightened and lonely.
• Sexual abuse. In nursing homes this form of abuse encompasses everything from non-consensual sexual touching to sexual assault and rape. It can lead to STIs and physical injuries, including contusions and broken bones, as well as emotional trauma.
• Financial exploitation. Also known as financial abuse, it involves misusing a resident’s financial resources for personal gain. It can include stealing personal property and money, forcing a resident to withdraw and hand over money from a bank, or convincing a resident to sign over assets. This form of abuse can cause financial distress and can leave a senior without the resources to pay for essentials.

Sometimes, seniors can be subject to more than one form of abuse. For example, a caregiver may hit a resident and also financially exploit them and verbally attack them.

Abusers often don’t stop on their own. In fact, they often escalate their actions and even find new victims. Unfortunately, victims can suffer from serious injury and because of their medical condition and frailty may experience serious complications and can even pass away due to the abuse.

Once you notice signs of abuse, alert the facility and authorities. You may also want to consult with nursing home abuse lawyers in Hollywood, FL to find out what you can do. The sooner you act, the sooner the abuse may end and the faster a loved one can get medical and emotional help.

Other Forms of Neglect and Abuse

While physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse are the most common forms of abuse in nursing homes, there are other forms of harm to look for, too.

Medical abuse, for example, is gaining a lot of attention in recent years. This occurs when a resident’s medical needs are deliberately ignored or mishandled. It may involve withholding necessary medications, falsifying medical records, or providing inadequate treatment. It can also involve incorrect restraints or administering medication inappropriately, often to keep residents docile.

Another form of abuse that’s often overlooked is resident abuse. While most perpetrators of nursing home abuse are the staff who are hired to care for seniors, in some cases other residents end up causing harm. Violent residents who are not properly supervised or who are not screened can physically harm fellow residents. In these cases, too, it’s useful to consult nursing home abuse lawyers in Hollywood, FL. You may have a claim against the nursing home if the facility failed to take proper action to protect others from a violent resident.

How Can a Hollywood Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Help?

Nursing home abuse lawyers in Hollywood, FL can help you understand what your legal options are and what you can do to protect a loved one. Many families find that when they report nursing home abuse to a nursing home or even authorities, they don’t often get clear answers. They may be told that someone will look into the abuse, but it can be scary to wait. Often, internal investigations or even investigations by authorities do not produce valuable answers.

With nursing home abuse lawyers, however, you have an ally on your side. Nursing home abuse lawyers in Hollywood, FL can investigate nursing home abuse allegations and gather evidence. Attorneys can negotiate with nursing homes and their insurance companies, and they’re often able to get more answers because they know what the laws are. Nursing homes are simply more likely to take attorneys more seriously because they fear legal action.

Of course, when you work with an attorney you may also decide to pursue a claim against a nursing home, caregiver, and other liable parties. In this case, an attorney can guide you through the process and take care of all the details of filing a claim, even taking your case to court, if that’s necessary.

Deciding to file a claim allows you to seek financial recovery, which can help you pay for a loved one’s medical care after the abuse. It can also give you the financial resources to move your family member into a better nursing home, protecting them from abuse.

If you’re interested in speaking with a Hollywood nursing home abuse attorney about your situation, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free consultation. Our team has helped thousands of families and individuals after nursing home abuse, assault, truck accidents, and other incidents. Our full focus is on personal injury law and workers’ compensation claims, so we have the resources to place our full attention on your claim.