Buffalo is the second most populated city in New York State. Over one in every ten residents is over 65, and many more are rapidly approaching retirement.
With numbers growing, Buffalo nursing home abuse attorneys of Nursing Home Law Center LLC remain adamant about defending the rights of those injured due to nursing home negligence or abuse in assisted living facilities.
Have you or your loved one been abused or neglected at a nursing home? If so, contact the affiliate New York personal injury attorneys at the Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, and talk directly with one of our affiliate attorneys.
We help many victims of personal injury and gross negligence who have suffered nursing home abuse and neglect at the hands of those in charge of providing proper care. Call our Buffalo, NY nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone number) for an immediate legal opinion on your case.
We serve clients throughout New York state, including those living in the Buffalo area, Orchard Park, Niagara Falls, Erie County, and Western New York. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
What Are The Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and NeglectImproper Medical Care
Disabled, infirm, and senior citizens in assisted living facilities could have weakened immune systems or health conditions. Therefore, they must receive proper medication on a regular schedule. In addition to causing a resident to suffer from illness, medical negligence cases can lead to:
Lack of Hygiene
Lack of hygiene is a massive issue for nursing home residents. A clean and septic environment is essential to their quality of life, especially when many patients have mobility issues or need help with their primary activities.
When a nursing facility is unclean, it can lead to staph infections and other infections. Nursing home negligence of a resident’s hygiene needs may be indicated by:
Sexual Abuse
Sexual elder abuse is unfortunately common in nursing homes since a resident who is confused or unable to give consent due to their mental or physical condition is much more vulnerable. The engaging of physical or sexual conduct with a nursing home resident that the patient does not want or has consented to is sexual abuse.
Sexual elder abuse can also be:
Paying attention to behavioral changes or a recurrent personal injury are reasons to suspect Buffalo nursing home abuse. Start a conversation with your loved ones about the care they are receiving.
Nutritional neglect
Residents in nursing homes often have difficulties feeding and drinking by themselves, which can happen because of a physical or mental medical condition.
When the staff at your loved one’s nursing home cannot provide food and drink or nutritional supplements or deliberately withholds provisions, it is considered abuse and neglect. Lack of proper nourishment can be a critical factor in the downward spiral of a loved one residing in an assisted facility.
Emotional Neglect
Emotional neglect is, in itself, a form of abuse in Buffalo nursing homes. The withholding of companionship and personal contact that caregivers should be providing is harrowing. Lack of emotional support could include:
Social neglect
All nursing home patients have the right to participate in activities, enjoy social activity outside the facility if they can, and receive visits from friends and family members.
However, social neglect cases may include actively isolating a patient who needs assistance to join an activity or purposely excluding a resident from activities they want to participate in.
When Buffalo nursing homes fail to provide their patients with social activity, they can exhibit phycological and physical symptoms such as:
Neglect of basic needs
Nursing home neglect occurs when the caregiver fails to provide competent care to a nursing home resident. This includes failing to supervise and attend to a resident’s daily requirements, particularly those needed to keep a resident safe from harm. Chief among these are:
You should look for the following signs when visiting prospecting nursing homes for your family member:
Inadequate Training of the Staff
Proper training of your loved one’s Buffalo nursing home staff should include:
Additionally, a Buffalo, NY, nursing facility should have staff trained in various practice areas to provide the best possible care for patients with different needs.
If the caregivers do not have this training, a resident may suffer a preventable personal injury. In that case, the staff and nursing home may be held responsible for the emotional damage your loved one has endured.
Appropriate Staff-Resident Ratio
Unfortunately, understaffing is a big problem in nursing homes. It could be because of poor management, lack of funds, or even putting profits over quality. However, training is limited or rushed when staff-to-patient ratios must be maintained, and administrators don’t even make adequate background checks.
Buffalo, NY, nursing facilities need someone on the job to ensure adherence to New York state regulations, which just changed. Nonetheless, the care homes struggle to maintain the proper staff-to-patient ratio.
When they rush the job and don’t hire and train properly, it presents the danger of personal injury and neglect to your vulnerable loved ones.
The new legislation enacted in April 2022 has requirements that you should be able to quickly check when looking for a good nursing home for your loved one. That is because the legislation requires that nursing homes post information regarding nurse staffing at their facility in a manner visible and accessible to its residents, their family members, and staff.
This legislation requires that at a minimum:
Basic rights
Privacy rights
Transfer and discharge rights
Control over their financial situation
Rights against restraint, abuse, and neglect
When these rights are violated, your loved one may need to seek legal intervention from a specialized Buffalo, New York attorney.
How To Report Nursing Home Abuse in Buffalo, New YorkHas a family member suffered nursing home negligence in Buffalo, NY? You should take immediate action and get your loved one to a safe place. Left untreated, health problems stemming from abuse and neglect can lead to depression or permanent disability.
After you have secured your loved one, report them to the authorities as soon as possible. Doing so can prevent a similar outcome for other nursing facility residents.
Furthermore, the New York State Department of Health, Division of Nursing Home, and ICF/IID Surveillance are responsible for investigating complaints about resident abuse, neglect, mistreatment, and incidents occurring in nursing homes in New York State that are related to a State and Federal regulatory violation.
They will look into your complaint in Buffalo, New York area, or Orchard Park. The Department reviews all complaints received about nursing homes through the Centralized Complaint Intake Unit, and appropriate action is taken.
How Our Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys Can HelpAre you or a loved one a victim of abuse, neglect, or personal injury in a nursing home? In that case, legislation is in place to protect the nursing home abuse victims and legal recourse to claim justice and compensation.
Whatever form of violence, be it physical, emotional, psychological, or even financial, by forging medical bills that shouldn’t exist and others, our attorneys will give you a free case evaluation to get the best possible outcome.
A attorney specializing in nursing home abuse, with many positive prior results, can help you and your loved ones understand the laws, gather information, and bring a lawsuit to ensure justice and compensation.
An attorney from our center will be able to bring a lawsuit against the nursing home if:
Nursing home abuse is awful in all cases, and you should not wait to seek an attorney who will provide the best possible legal assistance. Contact us as soon as you suspect your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in a nursing home for a free case evaluation, and we will help you in all steps of this process.
Call Our Attorneys for a Free Consultation on Your Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse CaseIs your family member experiencing injury or pain caused by abuse and neglect at the Buffalo nursing home? Take immediate legal action for your loved one, and call our Buffalo nursing home abuse attorneys to schedule a free case review.
Seeking professional legal counsel is the best attitude you can have to help your family navigate a Buffalo nursing home abuse situation. An affiliate nursing home abuse lawyer in Buffalo, New York, can assist you in understanding your rights and seeking compensation for your damages against Buffalo nursing homes.
Call us at (800) 926-7565 to arrange a free consultation with a Buffalo nursing home abuse attorney at the Nursing Home Law Center, LLC. We will review your case and discuss what we can do for you to ensure maximum compensation.
We serve clients throughout the New York state, including those living in the Buffalo area, Orchard Park, Niagara Falls, Erie County, and Western New York. All information you share with a Buffalo NY nursing home abuse lawyer within our law firm remains confidential through a lawyer-client relationship.
We provide immediate legal representation, advice, and counsel without upfront fees. All our legal services are paid after negotiating an acceptable out-of-court settlement or winning your case at trial.
Resources: