NURSING HOME NEGLECT LAWYER IN SHREVEPORT
Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer in Shreveport
For many adults, there comes a point in your life where you have to make difficult decisions about caring for your elderly relatives. Most adult children of aging parents have their own children, jobs, and spouses to juggle. Caring full-time for an older relative can be something beyond your capabilities, and making the decision to put them in a nursing home may seem like the best or only option. Unfortunately, what many people don’t consider when making these difficult decisions is that the care provided in nursing homes and assisted living facilities may actually pose more harm than good.
Nursing home neglect and abuse are rampant problems. At Greenwald Law Firm, our Louisiana legal team understands the devastation of personal injury cases caused by neglect or abuse. If your family member was harmed by a negligent nursing home or their staff, you have legal options available. Contact a Louisiana nursing home abuse and neglect attorney from Greenwald Law Firm today. You can schedule a free consultation by calling (318) 219-7867 or completing our online submission form.
Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse
When you think of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, you may think of seniors playing bingo, grandmothers knitting, and other comforting thoughts. Unfortunately, in many nursing homes, this is not the case. In fact, resident needs are often overlooked due to understaffing or poorly trained staff in such facilities. In severe cases, residents can suffer from intentional acts of abuse, resulting in serious injury and potentially even wrongful death.
Abuse can happen in many different ways, including physical, sexual, or financial abuse. Here are some of the more common types of neglect and abuse our Shreveport personal injury lawyers at Greenwald Law Firm deal with:
Physical Neglect
Many nursing home residents have mobility issues and need help completing activities and tasks required for a comfortable daily living. When nursing homes are understaffed, staff members cannot devote the appropriate amount of time to each resident. Residents who have mobility issues are often left in the same spot for hours at a time. This can lead to an increased risk of bed sores, dehydration, and incontinence. When staff members fail to take care of the personal hygiene of their residents, urinary tract infections and other serious medical conditions and injuries can often result.
Physical Abuse
Sometimes nursing homes use inappropriate methods of care, such as chemical or physical restraints. This is considered a type of physical abuse. Overwhelmed staff members may take out their aggression and frustration on nursing home residents. Kicking, shoving, slapping, and other acts fo violence are not uncommon in such situations.
Sexual Abuse
It is a horrible thing to think about, but sexual abuse is another type of case our nursing home abuse lawyers often come across. Staff members aren’t the only ones who may sexually abuse residents. Without proper supervision, guests and even other residents can take advantage of vulnerable seniors. Many seniors with dementia or other neurological conditions may be coerced into a nonconsensual sexual relationship.
Financial Abuse
Financial abuse can happen when nursing home employees take money or belongings from residents. This may be through acts of manipulation, coercion, or even straight up theft.
Medical Neglect
It is not uncommon for poorly trained or negligent staff members to give the resident the wrong medications or incorrect dosages. This can result in injuries due to medical negligence and medical malpractice. Staff members can also overlook warning signs of infection or illness and fail to get the resident help in time.
If you have loved ones or family members in a long-term care facility or nursing home, it’s essential to be vigilant. Many forms of abuse don’t leave physical marks, so noticing the signs of other forms of abuse is critical. Additionally, your relative may not speak up about their abuse or neglect. They may be afraid of retaliation from the abuser or believe the abuse is their fault.
Some common warning signs include:
- Sudden shifts in mood or personality
- Increased agitation
- Frequent UTIs
- Unexplained STDs
- Bruising, broken bones, bedsores
- Sudden weight loss
- Medication errors
- Changes in bank accounts, wills, and other legal documents
If you notice any of these signs or if you are simply suspicious of the care your elderly loved one is receiving at a nursing home facility, contact the Shreveport, LA nursing home abuse attorneys at Greenwald Law Firm right away. Your family member should not have to suffer from someone else’s negligent or abusive actions, and we will fight to make sure they obtain justice for what has happened to them.
Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987
Nursing home residents have protected rights under the law, which means you can take legal action if abuse or neglect has harmed your loved one. The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 was the first piece of legislation that outlined the rights of senior residents. This act also holds nursing homes and assisted living facilities accountable for negligent actions. Under this act, nursing home and long-term care facility residents have a right to:
- Medical, psychological, physical, and social care
- Privacy
- Take part in their medical care
- Make complaints without fear of retaliation
- Be treated with dignity
Nursing home residents have the right to a life free from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect. They also have a right to treatment free from unnecessary chemical or physical restraints. Nursing homes can face legal consequences if they don’t follow these guidelines. This includes being liable for any injuries as a result of these violations and losing federal funding. By obtaining qualified legal representation, you can ensure your loved one is fairly compensated, their abusers are held accountable, and other residents don’t suffer the same fate.
Why Do I Need a Nursing Home Neglect Attorney?
Nursing homes are required to provide safe and effective care for their residents. When negligent staff abuse or neglect residents, these facilities should be held accountable. The nursing home neglect lawyers at Greenwald Law Firm can help you seek justice for an injured loved one by handling all legal matters related to your LA nursing home abuse case.
Proving Negligence
Like most personal injury cases, a nursing home abuse or neglect case has to prove that the nursing home is liable for the injuries. This means in order to seek compensation, you and your attorney must prove the nursing home’s negligence caused an injury and/or financial losses.
The nursing home staff may have committed the abuse or neglect, but lawsuits are often directed at the nursing home itself. Many times, the neglect or abuse is because the nursing home failed to perform proper background checks or invest in proper training. Regardless, our personal injury attorneys at Greenwald Law Firm will thoroughly investigate your case and work to hold every single person or entity responsible for allowing the abuse or neglect to occur.
Louisiana Statute of Limitations on Elder Abuse
Personal injury law limits the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit after an injury. Under Louisiana Civil Law, you have one year from the date of injury or knowledge of the injury to bring forth a lawsuit. This means that after a year, you can no longer pursue compensation for the injury.
Recovering from the serious injury or death of a family member can take time. Unfortunately, the more time that passes, the weaker evidence becomes. Working with a nursing home neglect attorney right away can protect your legal rights while giving you the space and time you need to heal.
Seeking Compensation for Nursing Home Abuse
If your loved one has been injured due to nursing home abuse or negligence, the costs can quickly add up. Nursing homes themselves aren’t cheap, not to mention the additional medical expenses needed to recover from an injury. At Greenwald Law Firm, our nursing home abuse attorneys can help you and your family recover compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment in life
- Financial exploitation
- Wrongful death
- And more
Rest assured, our experienced Shreveport nursing home abuse attorneys will help you bring an end to your loved one’s abuse and receive the compensation they deserve for any injuries or harm caused.
Contact A Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer in Shreveport/Bossier City
If you suspect your loved one is being neglected or abused by employees or other residents in their care facility, contact an attorney today. The nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Greenwald Law Firm can help you explore your legal options. With more than twenty years of experience in law, you can trust our law offices to handle your case with care and dedication. Joey Greenwald is licensed to practice law in both Louisiana and Mississippi courts and can serve clients in cases involving estate planning, probate and successions, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and several other related practice areas and legal issues. From Shreveport criminal defense to personal injuries caused by a car accident, we have you covered.
Having experience on both sides of the court allows our firm to provide the best representation possible. Call us today at (318) 219-7867 to schedule a free consultation.
Greenwald Law Firm LLC has experience representing clients across Louisiana for almost 20 years. If your loved one was harmed due to nursing home negligence, know your legal rights. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact our office at 318-219-7867.