Oftentimes, it’s not easy to put your loved one into a nursing home, but it may be what is best for them. You may worry about their health, age, and medical conditions, but you expect that the nursing home staff will take care of your loved one and provide them with adequate care. Unfortunately, older adults in nursing homes are at risk of being neglected due to negligence.
The team at Turner Law Group is here to provide you with the information and legal services you may need to file a claim and ensure justice for your family. We explain more below.
Actions That May Constitute Nursing Home Neglect
While you may hear the terms nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect used interchangeably, they are not quite the same. Both are serious offenses, but nursing home abuse is categorized as the intentional or deliberate infliction of injury or any other punishment that causes emotional or physical harm.
On the other hand, nursing neglect is considered an intentional or unintentional act that occurs when a staff member or multiple staff members are negligent and fail to take the steps necessary to maintain a certain level of care that is required in all nursing homes. It can occur for several reasons, including:
- Negligent hiring, such as failing to properly screen applicants
- Lack of training provided to employees
- Lack of supervision or understaffing
- Failure to abide by health and safety policies
- Failing to provide adequate medical treatment
- Failing to assist residents when they need help
- Failing to prevent injuries, such as bed sores
How to Pursue Civil Action Against a Nursing Home
When nursing home neglect does occur, there are steps that you and your family can take in order to ensure that the neglect does not continue and to pursue compensation for any resulting damages, such as medical expenses or pain and suffering. It’s important to act quickly once you have any suspicions of nursing home neglect by contacting an attorney right away.
You will also want to report the suspicions or any related incidents to the nursing home administrators and local authorities.
After doing this, your attorney will advise you whether your neglected loved one is entitled to pursue a civil lawsuit against the nursing home. If your loved one died as the result of the neglect that took place, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed by the family of the victim.
Holding Negligent Nursing Homes Accountable
Life after nursing home neglect can be devastating for the neglected individual and their entire family. If you or your loved ones are ever in this situation, please know that the team at Turner Law Group is here to help you determine your legal rights and to hold the negligent nursing home accountable.
While it may not always be obvious what went wrong or who is responsible for nursing home negligence, we will leave no stone unturned when investigating your case. You can trust our team to ensure your family is protected and receives the justice and compensation you deserve.
Contact our Geneva nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at (800) 653-0198 to speak with our legal team for free today.