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At some point in time, many families must make the difficult decision to place their aging loved ones in a nursing home. When making the decision, families oftentimes spend hours carefully researching potential facilities. Families need to know that the facility they choose will provide the highest level of care to ensure their loved ones can maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle with access to the resources and care they require.
Unfortunately, Solana Beach nursing homes may fail to properly supervise their employees or don’t set in place the policies and procedures needed to provide the care that you or your loved ones deserve.
If you have a loved one who suffered negligence in a nursing home setting, an experienced Solana Beach nursing home abuse attorney can help you understand your loved one’s rights. Experienced Solana Beach personal injury attorneys regularly fight for the rights of injured victims to seek the compensation they are entitled to. Contact Gomez Trial Attorneys to schedule a free consultation and case evaluation.
Nursing home residents remain more vulnerable and suffer higher rates of abuse and negligence than their peers of similar ages and capabilities who remain in the community. Yet defining nursing home negligence is difficult because it can come in many different forms and vary from one situation to the next.
At a fundamental level, nursing home residents deserve a level of care that enables them to maintain a high quality of life, despite the natural physical and mental deterioration associated with aging. Unfortunately, in some nursing homes, caregivers may be unqualified or understaffed, and as a result, fail to provide even the most basic services.
Nursing home neglect may occur for a variety of reasons. Understaffed facilities are a major contributing factor to neglect in nursing homes across the United States. When there is an inadequate number of caregivers for the number of residents at a facility, all residents may suffer from the staff’s inability to provide an adequate level of care.
Nursing homes commonly experience high turnover among their employees. A steady rotation of new employees and poor communication among staff can make it difficult to track employee performance. Newly hired caregivers frequently receive inadequate training. Others, however, may consciously choose to neglect their job duties because the expectations created by the workload are unattainable. Inadequate training and high expectations can result in a lower standard of care for all residents.
Many seniors, especially those who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia, prove to be more vulnerable to physical neglect than their more able-bodied or able-minded peers. Physical neglect can come in many different forms. Seniors experiencing Alzheimer’s or dementia may not immediately recognize they are being neglected, or in the worst cases, might not recognize signs of neglect at all.
Some common forms of physical neglect include:
Signs of physical neglect may not be readily apparent, particularly if the nursing home staff takes measures to hide signs of neglect when they anticipate a resident will have visitors. Family members should pay careful attention when visiting, including questioning their loved ones about their experience at the facility and the level of care provided by nursing home staff.
As a natural consequence of aging, many elderly individuals encounter a variety of health problems, many of which require regular treatment and medication. Nursing home caregivers are responsible for providing a high standard of medical care to address each resident’s individual needs. Staff must ensure residents are present at appointments, arrange for treatment providers to visit the facility when necessary, and ensure residents receive recommended medications.
Some common forms of medical neglect may include:
Loved ones may notice several signs of medical neglect in nursing home residents, for example, signs of untreated injuries with no injury-report. Residents that are not receiving their prescribed medications may show worsened symptoms of diseases or conditions that were successfully controlled before entering the nursing home.
Social isolation can contribute to physical and medical problems for seniors. Seniors who feel isolated from friends and loved ones may suffer substantial cognitive and physical decline. Many seniors, particularly those residing far away from their loved ones, rely on their caregivers and other residents in the nursing home for companionship. Unfortunately, in some nursing homes, especially those with inadequate staff, caregivers may not properly attend to the residents’ emotional needs.
Staff may emotionally neglect residents when they:
Loved ones may find that a senior suffering from emotional neglect appears socially withdrawn. Socially isolated residents may seem distant or uncomfortable and show a lack of interest in engaging with visitors.
If you suspect a loved one has suffered neglect in a Solana Beach nursing home, you should consider consulting an experienced nursing home neglect attorney as soon as possible. Experience attorneys can provide critical assistance to families in managing a neglect claim on their loved one’s behalf.
For example, an attorney may:
Many people want to know how much compensation their loved ones can expect following a clear case of neglect in a nursing home.
However, the amount of compensation an injured party may receive depends on:
Nursing home facilities and the staff have a duty to provide a high standard of care to all residents. When nursing homes fail to provide the required level of care, including instances of neglect or abuse, they are responsible for any resulting damages. In some cases, other individuals or organizations may share liability for the neglect experienced in a nursing home.
When appropriate, an experienced personal injury attorney can investigate the nursing home and learn whether any other parties share liability for an injured resident’s losses.
For example:
Solana Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer, John Gomez
If your loved one suffered neglect in a nursing home, the nursing home may quickly offer a settlement to help compensate their wrong, including medical or moving expenses. Consult an attorney before accepting any offer made by the nursing home.
Many nursing homes carry insurance designed to help protect them. Others may have legal teams who want to minimize the financial impact on the nursing home following a case of neglect. Unfortunately, while a quick settlement may be attractive when families are facing increased medical expenses, they typically do not reflect the full value of an injured senior’s claim.
An attorney can help provide injured parties and their loved ones with an accurate estimate of the amount of compensation they are entitled to. An attorney may also identify other parties that contributed to the neglect or that bear liability in the claim, which can ultimately help maximize the compensation an injured party may receive.
If you have a loved one who suffered abuse or negligence in a Solana Beach nursing home, contact our Solana Beach nursing home lawyers to see if we can help you. Contact Gomez Trial Attorneys or call us at (619) 237-3490 today for a free consultation.
Gomez Trial Attorneys
603 N. Highway 101
Solana Beach, CA 92075
Phone: (868)-252-1500
No Fees Unless We Recover Money On Your Behalf