Neglect In Nursing Homes: How To File A Claim
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it's important to be aware of the signs of neglect. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect are all too common. But there are steps you can take to protect them and get help if they're being neglected. In this blog post, we'll explain how to file a claim if you believe they are being neglected or abused in any way in a nursing home.
What is Nursing Home Neglect?
It is an unfortunately common form of abuse that affects seniors living in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term healthcare settings. It can include a lack of medical attention or inadequate personal hygiene resulting from the failure of staff to provide residents with the necessary assistance.
Nursing home neglect attorneys in Philadelphia are equipped to work with victims and their families to hold accountable those who have caused injury as a result of this negligence.
Attorneys at Edelstein Law understand the unique medical, emotional, and financial harms inflicted on seniors by nursing home neglect. Moreover, they have the experience and resources necessary to secure fair compensation for victims.
Types Of Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect can occur in many forms, such as
The Neglect Of Basic Needs: Neglect of basic needs includes depriving the resident of food, water, clothing, shelter, or safety.
Medical Care: Medical neglect can involve a lack of medical supervision, failure to administer medications properly, or refusal to provide necessary treatments.
Neglect Of Personal Hygiene: Neglect of personal hygiene includes failing to bathe the resident or provide a clean environment for them to live in.
Social And Emotional Neglect: Social and emotional neglect involves ignoring residents' emotional and social needs by not allowing interaction with family members and friends or providing stimulation activities.
All these different forms of nursing home neglect can have detrimental effects on a person's psychological and physical well-being, yet unfortunately, this is an ongoing and widespread problem in geriatric care.
Examples Of Nursing Home Neglect
Examples of nursing home neglect range from
Not assisting with basic hygiene needs such as bathing and toileting
Forgetting to provide adequate nutrition and hydration
Providing inadequate medical care
Forget to prevent the spread of infections
Exhibiting verbally or physically abusive behavior toward residents
Misappropriating funds or current resident property
Nursing home neglect is unacceptable, and proper attention must be paid to aging adults to remain safe and secure in the healthcare facilities that are meant to serve them.
How To File A Claim
If you feel you have been neglected in a nursing home, there are certain steps you can take to file a claim. It is important to understand your rights and how to protect them. Below, we have outlined the process of filing a claim.
1. Collect Evidence Of Neglect
If you suspect neglect in a nursing home, it is important to document the evidence of abuse or neglect. The evidence can be in the form of medical records, eyewitness testimony, and other relevant documents to prove the existence of neglect in a nursing home. This evidence can provide an understanding of the situation and help to take necessary action against them.
However, these papers must be accurate and detailed as they will be used to build your case. Armed with multiple pieces of evidence, you will be confident that your report of neglect will bring forth the justice needed for any wrongdoing.
2. Report Your Case
Once you have collected a handful amount of evidence, now is the time to report your case to authorities. However, filing a claim for neglect in nursing homes requires careful consideration and action toward the proper official resources. So, report your case to 911 as soon as possible, to ensure immediate care and ongoing support from specialized professionals if needed.
You can also reach out to your state's attorney general office for information on how to report such cases. Make sure all evidence of neglect is documented. This includes photos of damages caused by carelessness and even eyewitness accounts. A detailed account won't just aid in the investigation process, but also help protect vulnerable individuals from experiencing similar mistreatment later on.
3. Contact An Experienced Attorney
Filing a claim arising from neglect in a nursing home can be a difficult and stressful process. To ensure that your case is built properly to meet the court's legal requirements and to ensure you get the best possible outcome, it is important to find an experienced attorney who understands this specific legal field.
An experienced attorney can help you navigate the complicated court system, effectively manage paperwork, understand applicable laws and regulations and build a strong case on your behalf. By working with an established attorney who is an expert in this type of litigation, you give yourself the best chance of achieving a favorable result.
Conclusion
Nursing home abuse and neglect is a serious problem, but it's one that we can all help to prevent. Unfortunately, sometimes despite our best efforts, negligence does occur. If this happens, it's important to know how to file a claim so you can get the justice and compensation you deserve. Here are the steps you need to take to file a claim for nursing home neglect or abuse:
Gather evidence of neglect or abuse. This can include medical records, eyewitness testimony, and more.
Next contact an experienced attorney who can help you build your case and file the necessary paperwork with the court system.
Contact an Edelstein Law Attorney who works independently and can provide valuable advice on handling the situation. Additionally, they will help investigate and address an incident of neglect in a nursing facility setting and fight for the justice you deserve.