When you move a parent, spouse, or other family member to a nursing home, you expect your loved one will receive the proper care and be treated with respect. Unfortunately, nursing home neglect and abuse are rampant issues plaguing nursing homes in Georgia, Alabama, and throughout the country. Mobile and Atlanta nursing homes are not immune from the problem either. If you suspect your loved one is the victim of abuse or neglect in their facility, you need a skilled Mobile and Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer who can help. Fortunately, the experienced team at Foster Law LLC, is here for you and your family.
WHAT IS NURSING HOME ABUSE?
Nursing home abuse involves any type of harm that an elderly patient suffers while under the care of a facility and trusted caregiver. Sadly, it appears nursing home abuse is severely underreported, which means many of these caregivers continue to abuse more patients. Family members must remain vigilant and watch for potential red flags. It’s important to speak with your loved ones regularly to ensure they are receiving the proper treatment.
MAIN TYPES OF NURSING HOME ABUSE
Nursing home abuse generally falls under four main categories—physical, emotional, sexual, and financial.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse involves physical acts resulting in physical pain or injury. Common examples include pushing or shoving a patient, hitting them, and using physical restraints on a patient. Restraints should be used only in limited scenarios, not because the caregiver wants to or is trying to discipline the victim.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse can be mental or verbal and typically causes long-lasting harm to the victim. Examples can include verbally attacking a patient, humiliating or degrading a patient, isolating them from their family or friends, and yelling at them. You won’t see physical wounds with emotional abuse, but you may notice changes in your loved one. They may become depressed or agitated, have a loss of appetite, and develop anxiety.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves any sexual contact between a patient and a caregiver that is not consensual. It can also include showing a patient sexually explicit images or coercing them to take off their clothes. Like other types of abuse, sexual abuse can leave the victim with severe emotional trauma.
Financial Abuse
The fourth type of abuse involves a resident’s assets and financial accounts. People work all their lives to save money for when they are older. Unscrupulous caregivers use numerous methods to steal an elderly person’s money. Examples include forging the elderly person’s name on a check, stealing their property, using an elderly person’s bank accounts without permission, or coercing them into signing over assets or adding someone to their will.
CONTACT AN ATLANTA OR MOBILE NURSING HOME ABUSE ATTORNEY
Detecting nursing home abuse and neglect can be challenging. Filing a legal claim can be both time-consuming and complicated. You need an experienced Atlanta or Mobile nursing home abuse lawyer who understands the applicable Alabama or Georgia laws and can help. In the event your loved one passes away from the abuse, your family or the decedent’s personal representative could have a wrongful death lawsuit as well. To learn more about your family’s legal rights, contact the Atlanta and Mobile nursing home abuse lawyers at Foster Law LLC, today.