Nursing homes aim to provide the elderly with a safe, nourishing, and loving environment. Families from across the US put their elderly family members into a living facility, so these people can also access their day-to-day necessities.
Unfortunately, abuse, neglect, and mistreatment occur in many nursing homes in West Valley City that cause immense harm to the resident’s overall health. Some are deprived of medical care, while others become victims of sexual molestation or physical altercation.
Do you suspect your loved one is the victim of abuse or neglect in the nursing facility? If so, contact our affiliate Utah personal injury attorneys today to protect your loved one from further suffering and pain. We will fight until this misconduct stops, and you get justice with full financial compensation.
Call our West Valley City lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone number) to schedule a free case consultation. Any information that you share with us will remain confidential throughout the process.
What Is Considered Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect?Nursing homes are obliged by federal law to provide a safe and loving environment for the patients living at the residence without fear or deprivation. Any intentional or negligent violation of the rules by the staff and administration could lead to mistreatment of the residents.
Nursing home abuse refers to those acts that cause physical, mental, and emotional harm to the elderly, rehabilitating, and disabled. Neglect includes deliberate or unintentional unfulfillment of the resident’s rights that lead to damage or injuries.
The primary causes of mistreatment in nursing homes are often the result of the facility administrator’s failure to ensure staff and employees follow established policies and procedures that protect residents. Understaffing, untrained employees, incompetent staff, greedy or burned-out caregivers, and profit maximization are a few reasons behind negligent care.
Primarily, these acts are considered nursing home abuse:
Any one of the above acts could deteriorate the overall health of your loved one. It is imperative that families act quickly when suspecting their loved one is victimized by caregivers, visitors, employees, and other patients at the facility.
Common West Valley City Nursing Home Abusive Behavior, Mistreatment, and NegligenceMistreatment is categorized into five types:
Physical AbusePhysical force can cause the resident to suffer injury or harm from the staff members, visitors, other patients, and others. Physical abuse includes:
These things cause physical injuries to the resident, such as bruises, fractures, lacerations, and cuts.
Emotional AbuseVerbal or non-verbal threats posed profound emotional harm to the residents, resulting in psychological pain and mental anguish. The common forms of emotional torture are:
The signs of emotional mistreatment aren't always apparent. Typically, you can detect these signs from your loved one’s changed behavior, such as:
The unintentional negligence of the facility's staff resulting in insufficient food, care, and protection for the elderly can lead to significant health problems and wrongful death. Negligence might involve:
Any unwanted sexual activity from a staff member, employee, worker, visitor, or another patient is a heinous crime.
Sexual assault could result in:
Financial exploitation could involve any illegal acquisition or concealment of a resident’s assets or anything with a monetary value. Many nursing home residents have dementia or Alzheimer’s, making them forgetful or unable to control their finances.
Financial exploitation is a leading type of mistreatment in nursing homes. The most common forms of financial exploitation include:
Identifying any of these signs in your loved ones may indicate that they are a target of mistreatment or negligence.
What Should You Do After Suspecting Nursing Home Abuse in Your Loved Ones?Ensure your loved one is in a safe environment at the facility or another nursing home. Communicate with your loved one and ask them about the incident time, date, and venue. This discussion can help gather evidence to develop a successful case against the nursing center and abuser.
Tell the nursing center administrator what happened and file a formal complaint. More than likely, facility authorities were unaware of the perpetrator’s mistreatment.
Next, report the case to your local police. Law enforcement will investigate the allegations. Notify the Utah Adult Protective Services.
The National Center on Elder Abuse also offers relevant resources and contact information.
Get legal help from a professional West Valley City nursing home abuse lawyer from our affiliate law offices.
How Can West Valley City Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Help You?A nursing home abuse attorney will evaluate your case, identify your available legal options, and suggest whether you should file a claim to pursue action against the facility in civil litigation.
Your nursing home abuse attorney can file a lawsuit in court against the misconduct from the nursing center. The lawyer will handle every aspect of your case, allowing you to heal your injuries.
Typically, these cases resolve with financial compensation paid to the abused parties and some damages charged to the nursing center.
Your lawsuit will put the administration on legal notice. The center may lose its licenses and become disqualified from Medicare or Medicare funding.
Your allegation subjects the facility to civil penalties, fines, and additional civil litigation when other victims also complain about the administration.
A nursing home abuse attorney will hold all the responsible parties accountable in front of proper authorities.
What Types of Damages Are Involved in a Nursing Home Abuse Claim?Taking steps to seek justice and hold those responsible for causing the abuse is needed to be compensated for damages. The facility and those responsible for causing the mistreatment must bear the cost of restoring your family member’s health and well-being.
The most common damages involved in a nursing home abuse claim are:
Medical ExpensesMedical expenses might involve future therapy sessions, injury treatment, ongoing doctor visits, and rehabilitation.
Property and Financial LossThe loss of illegally acquired property or other expensive belongings of your loved one might be included in seeking financial compensation.
Out-of-Pocket ExpensesAdditional expenses include travel expenses to hospitals, home healthcare services, and other costs incurred during the recovery of your loved ones.
Emotional DistressAll types of abuse cause distress to the victim’s psychology. Many ongoing emotional health issues involve insomnia, PTSD, and anxiety attacks. This emotional distress is included in non-economic damages.
Pain and SufferingThe trauma and suffering you and your loved one went through because of the nursing center are also considered in the damages. It is usually included in non-economic damages.
Funeral and Burial ExpensesSurviving family members who file a wrongful death lawsuit seek all economic and non-economic costs associated with their damages in addition to funeral and burial expenses after their loved one dies at the negligent or abusive hands of others.
Hire West Valley City Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys to Seek Justice for Your Family MemberOur legal team of West Valley City nursing home abuse lawyers has years of experience representing and solving the abuse cases of many victims in Utah.
Our City nursing home abuse attorneys will evaluate your options and fight to hold the responsible parties accountable. Let a lawyer handle every aspect of your case to ensure you receive maximum compensation for your damages.
Our professionals handle personal injury cases through contingency fee agreements. Your family member won’t be charged any fee until our legal team negotiates your out-of-court compensation for your pain.
Contact our Utah law offices at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form to schedule a consultation. Speak with one of our nursing home abuse lawyers to discuss your legal options.
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