As a person needing assistance, you have the right to expect quality care and treatment from those entrusted with your safety. However, if you or someone you love has been the victim of negligence while attending an adult day care center, you may feel like your rights have been violated.
This difficult time can be challenging, but you don't have to face it alone. An experienced adult day care injury attorney can help guide you through the legal process and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Do you think negligence played a role in harm suffered at an adult day care center? The personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC can help and report suspected abuse on your family's behalf.
Contact our affiliate abuse injury law offices today at (800) 926-7565 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our attorneys remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Adult Day Care CentersAdult day care centers provide a much-needed service for elderly or disabled individuals who cannot fully care for themselves independently. Most families who use the services of an adult day care center cannot afford private caregivers to come to the home of a disabled or elderly loved one to provide care.
Unlike a nursing home providing 24-hour care, an adult day care center typically offers a viable, affordable solution to ensure their loved one receives quality care for at least a portion of the day. Unfortunately, many centers that offer an adult day care program are not adequately staffed or supervised, leading to cases of abuse and neglect.
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, about 60 percent of self-reported incidents of elder abuse involve verbal altercations, followed by nearly 14 percent involving negligence.
This nationwide problem affects millions of individuals in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or adult day care center.
Many adult day care center patients are neglected by various means that may never be reported to the proper authorities, including:
Neglect is not usually as violent as other forms of abuse or mistreatment. However, neglecting the daycare visitor could be just as harmful to their physical and mental well-being.
Common Warning Signs of Adult Day Care Center NegligenceThere are specific red flags to warn families that their loved one is being neglected at the adult day care center, including:
A Lack or Loss of Mobility
Most men and women spending time at an adult day care center desire to remain physically mobile and active during their time at the facility.
Staff members leaving residents isolated or sitting for hours in their wheelchairs without repositioning could lead to mobility issues, including the development of bedsores in as little as 90 minutes.
Inadequate Nutrition and Hydration
Malnutrition and dehydration at an adult day care center could cause the adult to experience severe health issues due to a lack of food or water.
Common symptoms of dehydration and malnutrition include:
If you notice that your loved one is exhibiting any of the warning signs or symptoms above, it's vital to investigate the situation as soon as possible.
Unexplained Injuries
Adult day care center staffing issues could lead to your loved one being injured while under the facility's care. The harm might not be severe, but it could still cause your family a great deal of emotional and financial hardship.
Some common injuries that occur in an adult day care center due to negligence include:
Do you suspect that your loved one has been injured due to the negligence of an adult day care facility? Contact an experienced attorney specializing in injuries at adult daycares, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure those responsible for damages are held liable.
Do you suspect a disabled or elderly patient is being mistreated and harmed? Contact us at (800) 926-7565 to schedule a free consultation to discuss compensation for damages, including hospital expenses, future medical costs, physical therapy bills, and other charges to heal from your injuries.
Poor Hygiene
The elderly and disabled routinely need assistance to maintain healthy hygiene throughout their adult day care facility visit. Staff members must help these individuals with basic needs when using the restroom and eating.
Unfortunately, many adult day care centers are not adequately staffed to provide care to visitors and patients. As a result, many men and women who spend time at an adult daycare center do not receive the proper hygiene assistance they need to maintain their health and well-being.
Psychological Problems
Many adult day care center visitors arrive daily with emotional issues like depression and anxiety that must be addressed. Some men and women fear caregivers, express resentment or anger toward others, or are reluctant to participate with others.
Lack of Sanitary Conditions
Every area of the adult day care center must be sanitary to minimize the potential risk of spreading contamination or infection.
However, some centers do not have the necessary number of staff on hand to keep all areas clean at all times. Understaffing at the adult day care center could lead to an accumulation of dirt, debris, and other contaminants that risk visitors' health.
Negligent Hiring Practices and Inadequate Training
Negligent hiring practices and inadequate training can lead to many problems for adult day care center visitors. Poorly trained or unsupervised staff can cause injuries, neglect, and hygiene issues.
Additionally, an unqualified staff can be more likely to commit acts of abuse against adult day care center visitors that might be physically and emotionally damaging for the injured, disabled, or elderly adults.
Adult Day Care AbuseSadly, men and women spending time away from home are often victims of adult day care abuse and neglect in one or more ways, including:
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse at adult day care centers when staff, employees, family members, or other visitors engage in physical acts that result in bodily injury, physical pain, or psychological trauma
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse of an adult day care visitor by staff members, other residents, or family members through name-calling, belittling comments, threats, or other verbal assaults
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse of men and women visiting an adult daycare facility by employees and other residents
Elder Abuse
The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) defines elder abuse as "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person."
Elder abuse is not only a problem in nursing homes but can occur in the victim's home or at adult daycares and assisted living facilities.
Financial Exploitation
Financial exploitation at an adult day care center could occur when caregivers or others:
Any adult child, family member, or friend suspecting patients are being abused or mistreated at an adult day care center, nursing home, or assisted living facility should report what they know immediately to the facility administrator.
Next, the appropriate state licensing agency should be contacted. Speak with someone in charge that can take necessary action to investigate what occurred.
Each state has an agency responsible for investigating complaints of abuse or neglect in long-term care facilities, including adult day care centers.
What to Do with a Wrongful Death at an Adult Day Care CenterQualifying family members, including the surviving spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents, and siblings, could file a wrongful death lawsuit if the neglect or abuse at an adult day care center claimed the life of a loved one.
Successfully resolving a lawsuit by negotiating with the defendant's insurance company or winning at trial will usually provide compensation for damages, including:
Do you suspect that the staff at your adult day care center caused your harm by failing to follow patient protocol? Did the daycare abuse or neglect lead to your damages? If so, contact our personal injury law firm. Our legal team handles abuse, neglect and premises liability cases like yours.
Our attorneys represent disabled and elderly clients harmed in adult daycares. Contact our affilate personal injury law firms at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone call) or use the contact form to schedule a free case evaluation.
Our attorneys accept all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won't pay for our legal services until we secure financial compensation for you through a negotiated settlement or jury award.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with your attorney at our law firm remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Resources:
Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home