If your elderly loved one living in a nursing home experienced the misfortune of missing money or personal items, you understand that this loss can cause a traumatic experience. Losing money can affect your financial stability and can add stress to your life. The loss of your personal items may not only constitute a monetary loss, but also a loss of possessions for which you may bear an emotional attachment. Loss can take an emotional toll and create distrust of those around you.
Unfortunately, the elderly community and those living in a nursing home sometimes experience caregivers or others taking advantage of their vulnerable state. If your elderly loved one resides in a nursing home and is missing money or personal items, you may have eligibility to take legal action. A Chicago missing money or personal Items lawyer may help you understand your options in this difficult situation. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today to learn more about your eligibility for compensation.
Reasons Nursing Home Residents Experience Theft
Nursing home residents need assistance in their daily lives. Many nursing home residents have often lost the ability to live fully independently and therefore rely on the facility and trained staff to help with personal and medical needs. In these circumstances, residents place a tremendous amount of trust in the nursing home staff and facility to keep their interests in mind.
Unfortunately, there are times when the elderly and other nursing home residents experience financial exploitation. Reasons for this include:
- Cognitive decline
- Physical restraints
- Targeting due to the accumulation of wealth
These only represent some factors making nursing home residents targets of the theft of money and personal items.
Cognitive decline can result in your inability to keep track of finances, inattentiveness to your surroundings, and general confusion. The physical restraints and inabilities characteristic of the aging population in nursing homes also make residents an attractive target for perpetrators. Additionally, the elderly community may live in a stable financial state, appealing to criminals looking for wealthy victims.
If your loved one experienced missing money or personal items while living in a nursing home, you may have a legal course of action available to recover financial compensation. A Chicago missing money or personal items lawyer may help answer any questions you have about your case.
Financial Exploitation in Nursing Homes
Statistics and data from the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) show that financial exploitation, which includes theft of all kinds, occurs to the elderly living in nursing homes. Residents suffering from dementia or weakened health may live with even more vulnerability to this type of abuse in nursing homes. Fortunately, their research also showed that elderly residents living in nursing homes report this form of abuse more than others. Some residents, like those suffering from dementia, may not have the capability to recall or express concern for missing items and money. Asking your loved one if they lost anything recently or if they are keeping up their checkbook may help safeguard against any discrepancies.
Family members play a key role in protecting their elderly loved ones, and they also have the right to legal representation to potentially help remediate any loss. If your loved one living in a nursing home discovers that they are missing money or personal items, you have a right to speak with a legal expert. Our legal team wants to help victims of financial exploitation and try to answer any questions you might have regarding your situation.
For a free legal consultation with a Missing Money or Personal Items Lawyer serving Chicago, call (800) 794-0444
Potential Perpetrators
While nursing home staff members possess specialized training to help residents with their medical and personal needs, staff members may take advantage of residents. This can include the theft of personal belongings, physical money, or financial assets.
Financial abuse of the elderly or other residents in a nursing home occurs when someone unrightfully takes a resident’s money or belongings. Financial exploitation can take many forms, such as identity theft to gain access to bank accounts or other assets, social security fraud, or a life insurance policy. The direct theft of personal belongings can prove more tragic, as personal items often have sentimental value that you may find difficult to quantify.
Family members may also bear fault in the theft of resident’s money or personal items. Visitors of other residents may have access to your loved one’s belongings. If the nursing home does not take proper precautions to monitor guests and residents at all times, theft may easily occur to a vulnerable resident. Family members, familiar visitors, and strangers may bear responsibility for your elderly loved one’s missing items.
Chicago Missing Money or Personal Items Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Take Action with a Chicago Missing Money or Personal Items Lawyer
If your loved one living in a nursing home experiences missing money or personal items, you may have the ability to take legal action to recover their losses. Every case differs, so speaking to a legal expert may help you determine your rights for financial compensation. A lawyer may help you file a claim with the nursing home’s insurance company or even build a lawsuit, if necessary.
If you feel like you suffered a situation in which your possessions remain in the hands of another person, take action without delay since a statute of limitations may apply if you need to bring your case before a court. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to set up a free consultation so you can learn more about your options and move forward with your life.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
