Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Protecting Vulnerable Residents in Nursing Homes

Do You Need to Hire a Nursing

Home Abuse Lawyer?

People who live in nursing homes often totally rely on their nurses and caretakers for assistance with daily living and medical care. This level of reliance makes them vulnerable to negligence and mistreatment. Your loved one has the right to expect a high level of care from nursing home staff members. When nursing homes fail in providing the expected standard of care to residents, nurses and facilities can be held liable for the injuries and worsening illnesses that result. Hiring nursing home abuse lawyer Stephen Osborne can help ensure nursing homes are held accountable for negligence and abuse, make sure your loved one receives compensation for his or her losses, and prevent others from enduring needless pain and suffering.

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Types of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

The elderly are vulnerable to nursing home negligence and intentional mistreatment that can cause severe injuries and life-threatening illnesses. Understanding the types of nursing home abuse and neglect, and recognizing the signs of nursing home abuse, can help you protect your loved ones living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

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Physical Abuse

Nursing home residents may suffer physical abuse through negligence or intentional actions. They may suffer punching, slapping, twisting, or pinching at the hands of a caregiver or another resident. Caretakers’ negligence can lead to falls, bedsores, infections, choking, and other physical injuries. The medical staff may commit medical malpractice that can lead to injuries, worsening illnesses, or even wrongful death.

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Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is a serious threat to nursing home residents. Those with advanced dementia may not have the ability to communicate the abuse to their families. Sexually transmitted infections, unexplained cuts or bruises, bleeding in the genital area, and extreme fear of a staff member or fellow resident are signs of sexual abuse.

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Emotional Abuse

Personality changes, loss of interest in activities, withdrawal from staff or other residents, or worsening depression, among other things, can be signs of emotional abuse. Verbal and emotional abuse can be extremely damaging to elderly nursing home residents, since they are already subject to loneliness and a heightened risk of depression.

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Abandonment

The elderly may become victims of abandonment. Abandonment occurs when those responsible for the care of the elderly desert them in a hospital, nursing home, or other public location. Nursing home employees may abandon a resident by failing to check on them or care for them regularly.

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Isolation

Many nursing home residents rely on caretakers to move them from their rooms to other areas in the facility, such as common rooms, activities, and the dining room. When residents are left isolated in their rooms too often, they can become lonely and suffer severe mental and emotional problems.

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Financial Abuse

Caretakers at nursing homes may have access to elderly residents’ possessions and information. They may take advantage of this by stealing money or credit cards. You should be suspicious if your loved one is missing cash, or you notice new or strange spending patterns in his or her bank account.

Nursing home abuse lawyer Stephen H. Osborne can help you protect your family and recover damages for any abuse they suffer.

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What Damages Are Recoverable in Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuits?

Victims can file a lawsuit with the help of a nursing home abuse lawyer if they suspect nursing home negligence or abuse. With a nursing home abuse lawsuit, victims can recover economic damages and possibly deter the facility from future abusive behavior.

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Economic Damages

Victims of nursing home negligence or abuse may recover the financial losses they incur due to the abuse or neglect. These damages may include medical bills arising from the abuse, recovery of stolen money, or the lost wages of family members who missed work to help their abused family members. Your nursing home abuse lawyer can determine the amount of economic damages if you have accurate records of the expenses incurred due to the abuse. If your nursing home abuse attorney proves abuse, these damages should be easy to recover.

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Non-Economic Damages

Victims may also recover non-economic damages. Non-economic damages usually consist of compensation for pain or suffering the victims suffered due to the nursing home staff’s negligence or abuse. The value of non-economic damages is difficult to determine. Your nursing home abuse lawyer will use your economic damages as a basis for estimating the value of your loved one’s non-economic damages. To recover for pain and suffering, your nursing home abuse attorney must gather enough evidence to accurately convey what your loved one has endured to a jury.

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Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are sometimes awarded as a punishment for the wrongdoer’s actions. The amount of punitive damages your loved one may receive has nothing to do with the victim’s economic loss. Instead, when a nursing home facility and its staff are guilty of especially reckless or intentional behavior that causes harm to its residents, the court may determine that punitive damages are appropriate to discourage them from committing similar acts. Punitive damages are often larger for bigger, more prosperous facilities and those that have committed heinous acts.

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Common Injuries Sustained by Nursing Home Abuse Victims in Nevada

9Wrongful death
9Traumatic brain injuries
9Bone fractures
9Hip fractures
9Bedsores
9Burns or lacerations
9Dislocations
9Internal bleeding
9Organ damage
9Malnourishment or dehydration
9Emotional injuries
9Mental health declines

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

Frequent Injuries or Illness. If your loved one seems to suffer from frequent injuries or illnesses, you should investigate to determine if abuse may be the cause.

Malnourishment or Dehydration. Weight loss and dehydration can be signs that your loved one’s caretakers are not providing proper nutrition or care.

Depression, Anxiety, or other signs of mental distress. These can be signs of many types of abuse, including isolation, physical abuse, or sexual abuse.

Unexplained Financial Transactions. If you find suspicious financial transactions that your loved one cannot explain, he or she may be a victim of financial abuse.

Torn Clothing or Damaged Property. These may be signs of intentional physical abuse. Caretakers may damage clothing or property when they push or hit their victims.

Missing Medications or Medical Equipment. Caretakers may steal residents’ medication or medical equipment to sell or for their own use, depriving the residents of necessary medical care.

When to Call a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

If you notice signs of abuse or neglect, or your loved one makes allegations of abuse, you should take the situation seriously. You should investigate claims of abuse, even if the staff attempts to explain them away. If you are not satisfied with the nursing home’s response to your investigation, you should call nursing home abuse attorney Stephen H. Osborne. He can help you investigate your loved one’s treatment and file a nursing home abuse lawsuit, if necessary.

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FAQs About Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuits in Nevada

What is the age requirement for elder abuse claims?

In Nevada, when someone 60 years or older suffers from mistreatment, they are considered victims of elder abuse. While no one should suffer abuse, there are special rules that apply when the elderly are victimized by those that are entrusted with their care.

How do I know if I have enough evidence to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit?

You may not know if the signs of abuse you see add up to a claim for nursing home negligence or abuse. However, if you have any suspicions that your loved one is the victim of abuse, you should contact a nursing home abuse lawyer. He or she will be able to help you understand your family’s rights and legal options, and how to proceed to keep your family member safe.

Will the nursing home know I am seeking help?

When you consult a nursing home abuse attorney, your meeting is completely confidential. He or she will not contact the nursing home. The attorney will advise you on when and how to make the nursing home aware of your suspicions, investigation, or lawsuit.

Who must be informed about suspected nursing home abuse?

If you see that a nursing home resident is in immediate danger, you should call 911 and make a report to local law enforcement. If you suspect abuse but do not think anyone is in immediate danger, you should report the abuse to the nursing home administration. If the administration does not stop the behavior or launch an investigation, you can report your suspicions to various Nevada authorities. A nursing home abuse lawyer can help you determine how to proceed.