Be Involved With the Move and Visit Often
One of the most worrisome issues for an out-of-state adult child is care that parents in any nursing home or medical rehabilitation and care facility will receive.
If you suspect elderly abuse, neglect or misconduct by a care facility consult with Eric Lanigan and Roddy Lanigan of Lanigan and Lanigan.
It’s not easy, but you will be relying on strangers to be kind to and care for your family member is not a fail safe plan. You should be sure to monitor through regular and unplanned visits to see how your parents are being cared for.
No one can be sure what will or won’t be done as your parents health and medical conditions change regularly. Initial care plans may become dated and the funding for additional services can be expensive.
When you move your parents into a home, assisted living or medical care facility, be an active participant. Ask questions. Spend the time to know the staff and understand that your parents will change and not be able to tell you that they have.
Abuse and neglect in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is a continuous problem in Florida and the United States. Elderly abuse or neglect is often very upsetting when loved ones are injured by those responsible for their care. But prosecuting those at fault can be handled by an attorney.
Types of Neglect in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities
Nursing home abuse can be either due to physical abuse or neglect, such as failure to provide proper nutrition or medical care. Lack of care can result in dehydration, infections, bed sores, fractures, falls and other problems.
Your parents may not be able to tell you what’s going on. You have to be very alert. Ask your parents if they’re being treated with care. Is anyone threatening them? Has anyone asked them for their bank or financial information. Have they given money to anyone?
A recent situation developing in nursing home neglect cases includes nursing homes that hide assets to avoid financial responsibility. Nursing homes may also do everything they can to slow litigation and avoid providing information that they have to disclose. A lawsuit against a nursing home has to be filed within a short timeframe so if there is a problem, contact an attorney immediately with any claim.
Complicated Legal Governance
Complicated laws govern lawsuits against nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The defendants will have and require you to hire experienced attorneys who are willing to go the distance and hold all responsible parties financially accountable. Eric Lanigan has been practicing Florida law since 1976; Roddy since 2007. Both attorneys work with clients to recover losses when taken advantage of in securities and investments.
Because the economy is bad, many people exploit elderly who are innocent victims to people who befriend them to get close to the financial records and assets. You should be very familiar with who parents are approached by for investing ideas or any other financial requests.
Nursing homes are supposed to be safe, caring facilities that provide a nurturing environment with healthcare management. It provides independence and medical help when necessary and allows your loved one to live onsite in sometimes a private quarters.
24-Hour Care, Doctors, Nurses, Medical Aides
Most facilities have nursing care to help them 24 hours a day. In the elder family member’s assisted home, nurses, assistants, doctors are supposed to provide the medical attention and personal care that they may require. If this does not occur or if a situation arise, you need a nursing home abuse lawyer in Florida.
Millions of Americans count on nursing facilities to provide personal care and medical supervision they cannot provide for themselves. You trust that a professional staff that has the skill and knowledge to care for your family member will provide only the highest standard of care during this important and highly dependent time of lie.
Strict state and federal standards of care governing these nursing facilities does not always mean that they are going to follow everything. Accidents still happen and problems with care and lack of attention to medical problems arise.
If a patient is injured or killed and you are far away, how will you handle the situation without an attorney with years of experience and familiarity with the laws that will protect your loved one?
Horrible violations happen daily and tragic abuse and neglect compromise the health of your loved ones as the result of this abuse. If you’ve decided to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home, the decision is hard enough and you may not realize or know that there are many or few problems with a facility unless you carefully research it.
Don’t Wait to Select a Facility and Check Its References
Unfortunately, the decision can often be done in a hurry without time allowed for research on the highest rated facilities. You may not have had time to check records of abuse or lawsuits filed against a location.
A budget may be a large part of the deciding factor. You want to protect the life of your loved one but may have concerns and questions about the quality of care they are receiving, particularly because of news about Florida nursing home neglect and abuse.
Many facilities and nursing homes operate safely but no one leaves the facility feeling good that a parent or loved one is left to their own and sometimes are vulnerable to abuse. You have to be concerned with elderly, frail nursing home residents who may become victims of mental, physical abuse and neglect.
A family member may not even be able to express what is happening because of an inability to speak or move. In this situation, you have to ask, you have to see. You have to visit and ask for help monitoring the family member.
Warning Signs of Assisted Living or Nursing Home Abuse
- Neglected cleaning
- Little resident supervision or staff
- Falls or broken bones
- Bed sores
- Broken bones
- Malnutrition
- Clogged Breathing Tubes
- Bruising
- Physical bruises
- Verbal abuse by staff
- Intimidation
- Sepsis
- Constant, new illness
- Dirty clothing and bed linens
- Wandering
- Slips and Falls
- Physical or Chemical Restraining
- Errors with Medication
- Choking
- Sexual or mental abuse
- Financial problems
There are millions of Florida seniors and there is more elder abuse and neglect due to the extensive amount of assisted living facilities.
Abuse and Neglect Can Happen Anywhere to Any Parent
Warm weather doesn’t mean warm and friendly, healthy and caring facilities are everywhere to take your loved one in. There is understaffing, budgeting, overcrowding, training inadequacies, low wages, and other factors causing horrendous problems. Budget cuts mean staff cuts.
Don’t wait if there is a suspicion that your loved one has been abused. Begin by talking with experienced Winter Park, Florida, attorney Roddy Lanigan or Eric Lanigan. Nursing homes can be subject to two kinds of abuse cases: misconduct, or neglect. Find out more about your family’s situation through a consultation with the Lanigans who will provide aggressive representation with a personal touch to take care of your senior family member’s case.
