As more and more families move aging loved ones into nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, the sad fact is many of these residents will wind up being subjected to various types of physical, emotional, and maybe even sexual abuse. Since most nursing home residents are unable to defend themselves, they are at the mercy of staff members, visitors, or even other nursing home residents. If you have a loved one in a nursing home and you suspect abuse is taking place, never hesitate to act on your suspicions. To do so, contact a personal injury lawyer who has experience in such cases.
Examining Crucial Evidence
If you suspect your loved one is being abused in a nursing home, do everything you can to gather evidence that can back up your claims. This can include taking photos of unexplained bruises or other injuries suffered by your loved one, noting which staff members regularly take care of your family member, paying attention to sudden behavioral changes from your loved one or if they act scared when certain people enter their room, and other key aspects. Once you have this evidence, turn it over to your lawyer for additional examination.
Nursing Home Records
Unfortunately in many of these situations, your loved one is not the only one being abused now or who has been abused in the past. Once you begin working with your attorney, they can examine the nursing home’s records to determine if other complaints of abuse have been made against them. This can be a crucial element to your case, since it will allow your lawyer to establish a pattern of abuse that has taken place at the facility. In addition, your attorney can also examine records of staff members who care for your loved one. Many times, staff members at these facilities have criminal backgrounds or other factors that should have disqualified them from ever being hired.
Once you suspect nursing home abuse is occurring, don’t assume you just have an overactive imagination. Instead, schedule a consultation with Tobler Law to discuss your concerns in more detail.