Every family that makes the decision to have their loved one enter a nursing home does so with the expectation that they will have the best care possible. The entire purpose of placing a loved one in a nursing home is to ensure that they remain supervised and cared for throughout their stay. Every family has the right to expect that a nursing home will contact them with any changes in a medical condition.
Additionally, if any family member experienced any type of accident, the family should receive immediate notification regarding the circumstances of the accident or illness. If you discover that your loved one has unexplained bruises, cuts, or burns, they may be a victim of nursing home neglect or abuse.
Consider working with our legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. Call at (800) 842-6336 to find out how a Jacksonville unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer can help answer your legal questions and help you with your next legal steps.
Accidents in Nursing Homes
Elderly residents of nursing homes are much more prone to accidents simply because they have overall frailty as they age. In some cases, medical conditions may require nursing home residents to receive assistance with walking or going to the restroom, and in other cases, nursing home residents may simply slip and fall due to medications that make them dizzy or fatigued.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that one out of four senior adults will fall every year and that every second of every day, an adult over the age of 65 experiences a fall in the United States. The general population of a nursing home is typically elderly and needs additional supervision and care. While accidents may occur in nursing homes, every attempt should occur to prevent and avoid such accidents from happening to elderly residents.
Unexplained Injuries in Nursing Home Residents
When a nursing home resident experienced an accident or a fall, they may suffer bruises, cuts, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or even internal organ damage. Family members should receive an instant notification that an accident occurred and the steps the nursing home is taking to ensure that your loved one receives proper care.
Unfortunately, some families make the shocking discovery that their loved one has bruises, cuts, or even burns that remain unexplained. While in some cases, these unexplained injuries could result from an accident in a nursing home that was not reported to family members, in other cases, the nursing home resident may actually be a victim of nursing home neglect or abuse.
For a free legal consultation with a Unexplained Bruises or Cuts or Burns Lawyer serving Jacksonville, call (800) 794-0444
Unexplained Injuries and Nursing Home Neglect and/or Abuse
If you discover that your elderly loved one has unexplained injuries, your family member may have the ability to tell you about the nursing home neglect or abuse they experienced. Unfortunately, many senior residents of nursing homes suffer from cognitive degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia that makes it challenging for them to remember or convey accurately what happened to them with respect to their injuries.
When you find any unexplained injuries in your loved one, you should immediately request that the nursing home explain how the injuries occurred. Any lack of a satisfactory explanation for a mysterious bruise, cut, or burn should be a sign of potential nursing home neglect or abuse. Nursing home neglect or abuse can include various situations, such as:
- Restraint due to non-compliance or as a tool to achieve compliance from elderly residents resulting in bruising and cuts
- Failure to assist elderly residents in going to the restroom or walking resulting in bruises or cuts from slip and fall accidents
- Physical assault on residents of nursing homes resulting in bruises, cuts, burns, or other injuries
- Malnutrition or dehydration leading to a greater risk of bruises or cuts that do not heal properly
- Unexplained broken (fractured) bones along with bruises or cuts
- Sudden and unexplained death that includes unexplained bruises, cuts, and/or burns on your loved one’s body
Legally, every nursing home has a duty and obligation to ensure the safety of all of its residents under the Nursing Home Reform Act. Residents of nursing homes have a legal right to receive adequate supervision and a safe environment at all times. The nursing home staff should immediately report any injuries that do occur as a result of an accident.
Jacksonville Unexplained Bruises or Cuts or Burns Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
What to Do if You Suspect Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse
If you discover that your elderly loved one has any unexplained injuries, immediately notify the supervisor of your concerns. Again, the nursing home should have a procedure in place regarding how to deal with any injuries or complaints from their residents or family members. If there is no explanation regarding your loved one’s injuries, then you have the right under the law to actually contact 911 or the police if you believe your family member is in any kind of danger.
Additionally, if you feel as if your loved one may have suffered any kind of abuse or neglect due to unexplained injuries and a lack of an adequate explanation from the nursing home, consider visiting with our legal team today at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm and learn exactly how a Jacksonville unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer can work with you to get the answers you deserve regarding your loved one.
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How Our Legal Team Can Help Protect Your Loved One’s Legal Rights
While accidents may happen in nursing homes, the staff has a duty and responsibility to explain to the family exactly what happened that caused those injuries to their loved one. Any unexplained injuries remain a possible sign of nursing home neglect or abuse. If you suspect or have evidence that your loved one suffered unexplained injuries as a result of elder neglect or abuse in a nursing home, consider working with a Jacksonville unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. Call us at (800) 842-6336 to learn more about your legal rights.
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