Nursing home residents fall victim to neglect when they do not receive consistent, thorough care to maintain their physical and mental health. There are many possible signs of neglect, and bedsores — also called pressure ulcers — are one of them.
A Berwyn bedsores lawyer can help you investigate any suspicions of mistreatment that you have and bring any legal case that your loved one has for compensation. Call our team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today for a free consultation where we can provide more information about our services.
Neglect Is Just as Harmful as Abuse
While misconceptions abound, there is no true debate: neglect can be just as damaging to your loved one as abuse. While they represent different forms of mistreatment, both may cause significant negative changes in your loved one’s mental health, physical health, personality, and overall wellbeing.
According to the National Center On Elder Abuse, neglect can be any shortcoming by a caregiver who is responsible for promoting and preserving various aspects of your loved one’s mental, physical, and emotional health. Some forms of caregiver neglect include:
- Depriving your loved one of the food and water necessary for them to be healthy, as a healthy diet and access to water are the basis for all humans’ health.
- Forcing your loved one to go without regular bathing, grooming, and bathroom use.
- Failing to properly monitor your loved one for possible infections, bedsores, and other medical problems.
- Failing to protect your loved one from predatory behavior, including abuse and exploitation.
- Ignoring your loved one’s need for mental stimulation, empathetic care, and a measure of independence.
- Failing to recognize and address your loved one’s complaints and concerns.
- Forcing your loved one to live in an environment that is dirty, cluttered, or otherwise unsafe.
These and other forms of neglect will adversely affect your loved one’s quality of life. Neglect could also indicate that your loved one is being mistreated in other ways.
Neglect Could Indicate the Presence of Physical, Sexual, And Emotional Abuse
If you see signs that your loved one is being neglected, specifically after noticing bedsores, it is fair to question everything about your loved one’s treatment in the nursing home. The primary forms of mistreatment in nursing home settings, aside from neglect, are emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.
There may be overlap in the symptoms of these forms of abuse, and they may include:
- Signs of physical trauma on your loved one’s skin (bruises, cuts, burns, etc.), as well as more serious injuries like broken bones.
- A downturn in your loved one’s personality, including signs of depression or their desire to interact with others.
- Apparent signs of stress in your loved one, which may include tension in their muscles, shaking hands, jitteriness, and other uncharacteristic behaviors that could be associated with fear or anxiety.
- Bleeding from your loved one’s genital region.
- Your loved one being overly lethargic, which may indicate sleeplessness or incorrect administration of their medications.
If you want to investigate such mistreatment further and possibly bring legal action, call a Berwyn bedsores lawyer from our team after you call protective authorities. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm is ready to help, so call us today for a free consultation.
We Can Start Your Loved One’s Case Today
Reaching out to a firm that handles nursing home neglect may ease your stress about your loved one’s safety, as it is a tangible step towards ensuring the protection of and justice for your loved one. A lawyer will start by doing any necessary investigation to determine who is at fault for your loved one’s bedsores and possible other mistreatment of your loved one.
While the person directly responsible for abuse or neglect of your loved one is the most obvious defendant, they may not be the only one.
Nursing Home Management Could Be Liable for Harm to Your Loved One
When you sign a contract admitting your loved one to a nursing home, nursing home administrators likely did as well. By signing such a contract, they may be making themselves responsible for any harm that befalls your loved one under their watch.
A nursing home may commit negligence by:
- Refusing to turn over information about your loved one’s health to you or your lawyer.
- Failing to protect your loved one from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
- Hiring employees that are unqualified or unskilled, both of which may pose a danger to your loved one’s health.
- Hiring employees with questionable professional or criminal histories.
- Failing to conduct regular drug testing of employees.
- Not providing multiple checks and balances for ensuring resident health and safety.
If your lawyer proves that one or more defendants in your case acted negligently, or reaches a settlement with the defendant(s), your loved one could collect compensation covering:
- The cost of their entire stay at the nursing home.
- Their pain and suffering caused by mistreatment.
Your loved one may be entitled to more specific and additional awards based on the details of their case.
For a free legal consultation with a Bedsores Lawyer serving Berwyn, call (800) 794-0444
Call Our Team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Today
You or your loved one will pay nothing up front and nothing out of pocket — we only take a fee if your loved one collects awards for their losses. Call our team today for a free consultation. Your loved one should not experience senseless neglect resulting in a condition like bedsores which can be fatal. A Berwyn bedsores lawyer from our team wants to pursue justice for your loved one and to help protect them from any further harm.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
