Nursing home abuse can lead to a wide range of injuries, long-term psychological trauma, pain and suffering, and even death. If you have a loved one who suffered abuse or whom you suspect is being abused at their nursing home, Underwood Law Office may be able to help. A McKinney, Texas nursing home abuse lawyer from our firm may be able to file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf.
Underwood Law Office believes in holding abusers accountable. When we represent you, you can focus on your loved one’s care and recovery while we handle all legal aspects in your case.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to our team today at (972) 535-6377 for a free, no-obligation consultation on your case. Underwood Law Office may be able to represent you on a contingency-fee-basis with no up-front payments required.
Types of Elder Abuse that May Occur in Nursing Homes
Nursing homes have a duty of care to protect the wellbeing of their residents. If nursing home staff harms or abuses a resident intentionally or indirectly through a negligent act, the nursing home may be held liable for the resident’s damages. A nursing home may also be liable if their negligence allows visitors or other residents to abuse a resident.
The following types of elder abuse are recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when intentional force is used against a resident of a nursing home. It may occur in both a one-off situation, or it can be consistent and repetitive.
Some of the signs of physical abuse are bruises, cuts, broken or fractured bones, dislocated joints, and unexpected tooth or hair loss.
Sexual Abuse
Nursing home sexual abuse occurs when a nursing home resident is forced to participate in or engage in unwanted sexual activity. Patients of debilitating illnesses such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may become victims of sexual abuse.
Neglect
Neglect in a nursing home is not always intentional, but it is still a form of abuse because a nursing home is expected to know about its resident’s needs and to plan and prepare for satisfying those needs. Not providing a resident with nutrition, warmth, proper hygiene, assistance when it is needed, or access to medical care are all forms of neglect.
Mental and Psychological Abuse
Mental and psychological abuse may be used to hurt or punish a nursing home resident. Threats and insults are common forms of mental abuse, as is intimidating, isolating, or verbally bullying the resident.
Financial Abuse
Financial abuse occurs whenever the financial assets of an elder are used inappropriately or without their consent.
If you suspect that your loved one has suffered nursing home abuse, call Underwood Law Office today at (972) 535-6377. A member of our team can provide you with a free, no-obligation case review.
For a free legal consultation with a nursing home abuse lawyer serving McKinney, call (972) 535-6377
Possible Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
We mentioned a few signs of abuse above, but there are other warning signs that you can look out for that may signal that a resident of a nursing home may be suffering abuse. These include the following:
- Bedsores: bedsores can indicate that the resident is not being given the attention, hygiene, movement, and changing that he or she needs.
- Product and device injuries: the misuse of medical equipment, the use of defective or low-quality equipment, or the absence of important medical equipment in a nursing home may indicate that the home is taking potentially dangerous shortcuts to patient care.
- Poor resident protection: if a resident slips and falls, is attacked by another resident or a staff member, chokes on food, or suffers an injury because of a lack of supervision or protection, this can indicate neglect and/or a lack of resources at the nursing home, leading to harm to the residents.
- Staff issues: nursing home staff must be screened and trained, and their work must be supervised. A failure to screen, train, or supervise staff can lead to serious harm to the residents of a nursing home.
McKinney Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me (972) 535-6377
Understaffed Nursing Homes Can Lead to Neglect
Due to the difficulty of providing long-term care for the elderly, many of whom may suffer serious illnesses, and the growing number of people who require specialized care, many nursing homes find it difficult to cater to the needs of the burgeoning elderly population that they are tasked with caring for.
As a result, nursing homes may be understaffed, may not have the budgets they need to care for everyone entrusted to them, and nursing home staff may be overworked and underpaid.
If you see signs of an understaffed nursing home, you may want to monitor your loved one for signs of injuries due to neglect.
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Working with the Underwood Law Office on Your Nursing Home Abuse Case
When you work with a McKinney, Texas nursing home abuse lawyer from Underwood Law Office on your case, we can provide you with a wide range of legal services. These may include:
- Investigating your case, collecting evidence of abuse, and identifying the liable party
- Collect evidence from the nursing home, witness statements, medical records, and more
- Handling all communications on your behalf
- Negotiating with the responsible party’s insurance company for a settlement
- Taking your case to trial, if necessary
Note that your time to take legal action may be limited. Per Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003, there is a general two-year statute of limitations on personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits in Texas.
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Contact Underwood Law Office Today
A McKinney, Texas nursing home abuse lawyer from Underwood Law Office may be able to fight for compensation for your damages when we represent you.
For a free consultation on your nursing home abuse case with a member of our team, please contact Underwood Law Office at (972) 535-6377 today.
We may be able to represent you on a contingency-fee-basis, where we do not collect attorney fees unless and until you win your case and recover compensation.
Call or text (972) 535-6377 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
