Florida Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse Lawyer

Florida Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Lawyer

Nursing home residents are among our most vulnerable citizens. Ensuring their quality care, and seeking justice when standards are not met, is an imperative for our lawyers.

If you have a loved one who has experienced neglect or abuse while a resident in a Florida nursing home or rehabilitation facility – our experienced lawyers are on standby to help you seek justice and compensation on their behalf.

We trust that our elderly family members who require daily assistance will be well taken care of in a nursing home. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. It can be hard to accept the possibility that someone you love has been mistreated in a nursing home, even when there are signs. If your loved one is in a nursing home, it is very important to be aware of the warning signs of abuse and neglect.

Depression or Emotional Withdrawal

If your loved one is reluctant to speak, distant from friends and family, and seems less interested in activities, it may be a sign that he or she is being neglected or abused. In addition, a loved one might seem fearful of staff members if they are being abused.

Physical Injuries That Are Unexplained

Unexplained bruising, fractures, or head injuries could be signs that something is wrong. While an occasional fall is to be expected in a nursing home, the nursing home has a duty to take the necessary steps to prevent injury and provide your loved one with a safe living environment. Failing to provide a resident with the required assistance to get around a facility could be neglect. In addition, some unexplained injuries could be the result of physical abuse by a staff member.

Skin Breakdown

Bed sores and skin breakdown are typically preventable with proper care. Nursing home staff have the duty to turn and reposition residents throughout the day to ensure that they do not remain stationary long enough to develop skin breakdown.

Poor Personal Hygiene

Assistance with daily living skills and hygiene is one of the most important services a nursing home provides. If your loved one has overgrown nails, is wearing dirty clothes, and just seems to be unclean, it could be a sign that he or she is not getting the care necessary to maintain their personal hygiene.

Dehydration or Weight Loss

If it seems that your loved one is losing a dramatic amount of weight, this may be a sign that they are not receiving proper nutrition. While some weight loss in the elderly is to be expected, a noticeable amount of weight loss could also be a sign that the staff is not adequately feeding or monitoring the diet of your loved one. Sometimes depriving a nursing home resident of food can be a sign of abuse as well.

Causes for Nursing Home Neglect

We’ve all heard horror stories about neglect in nursing homes. This is a problem that goes back many decades; but unfortunately, continues today. It happens not only in nursing homes but also in rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. According to Irv Seldin, owner of Visiting Angels providing senior care in West Palm Beach, the principal causes of nursing home neglect are insufficient staff or staff who are not properly trained. 

Visiting Angels is often asked by families to provide a caregiver for supplemental assistance while their loved one is in a facility. This not only provides extra help to ensure that the patient’s needs are taken care of; but also provides another set of eyes and ears to monitor daily activities. This extra care sends a message to the facility.

Even if a family cannot afford to provide extra caregiving services, the best advice is to visit often, communicate with the facility staff, and report any concerns to management – while documenting your communication. Florida, like many states, has a Long-Term Care Ombudsman program for reporting neglect. The telephone numbers are 850-414-2323 or toll-free 1-888-831-0404

Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is a serious problem. Statistically, abusers are more often relatives of vulnerable older adults rather than hired caregivers; but abuse by caregivers does occur. An early warning sign that abuse might be taking place is when a caregiver attempts to isolate the vulnerable older person from other family members and professionals. That way they can manipulate their victim without interference. 

According to Irv Seldin, owner of Visiting Angels Palm Beaches, many families directly hire private caregivers because it is less expensive; but families seldom go through the steps or the expense to do proper background checks on candidates – which increases risk. A licensed home care agency near you will perform criminal background checks, check references, and check licensure status. Florida has an elder abuse hotline as well as some of the most robust elder abuse laws in the nation. The Florida Abuse Hotline accepts reports 24 hours a day and 7 days a week of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. The number is (800) 962-2873.

Florida Nursing Home Settlement Examples

$725,000 / Nursing Home / Pasco County
Plaintiff developed bed sores on his leg due to negligence by the facility and had to have his leg amputated.

$675,000 / Nursing Home / Wrongful Death
Due to confidentiality concerns, we are not providing specific details of this particular nursing home case.

$600,000 / Nursing Home / Wrongful Death / Hillsborough County
Due to confidentiality concerns, we are not providing specific details of this particular nursing home case.

If you believe your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home, you should have an experienced personal injury attorney evaluate your case.

The highly-experienced Florida personal injury law firm of Abrahamson & Uiterwyk also provides:

• Car accident lawyers in Florida
• Guide to Florida Car Accident Law
• Motorcycle accident lawyers in Florida
• Slip & fall lawyers in Florida
• Truck accident lawyers in Florida
• Bicycle accident lawyers in Florida
• Brain injury lawyers in Florida
• Birth injury lawyers in Florida
• Pedestrian accident lawyers in Florida
• Florida Red Light Car Accident Settlement Lawyers
• Construction accident lawyers in Florida
• Wrongful death lawyers in Florida
• Actos injury lawyers in Florida
• Boating accident lawyers in Florida
• Business interruption insurance lawyers in Florida
• Defective drugs medical device lawyers in Florida
• Dog bite lawyers in Florida
• Drunk driving accident lawyers in Florida
• Insurance disputes lawyers in Florida
• Medical malpractice lawyers in Florida
• Metal hip knee implant lawyers in Florida
• Nursing home abuse lawyers in Florida
• Product liability lawyers in Florida
• Work injury / workers comp lawyers in Florida

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