Residents living in a nursing home have a reasonable expectation of the protection of their belongings. There should not be a concern as to whether personal items or money will be taken from them by any member of the staff or other residents. Unfortunately, this is a growing problem for seniors in nursing care facilities.
This is a type of abuse called financial abuse, and it is becoming a growing trend in nursing homes across the United States. It happens when staff members steal seniors’ credentials so that they can access their accounts and take their money without their permission. In some cases, this also results in personal items being stolen out of the rooms.
If your loved one has experienced problems with missing money or personal items while in the care of a nursing facility, consult a Newark missing money or personal items lawyer for information regarding the appropriate legal steps. You may be able to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for the money or items that were stolen. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 201-3999 for a free consultation for your case.
Causes of Missing Money and Personal Items
When a loved one’s money or personal items go missing, there are several reasons why this can happen. While not all of these reasons are nefarious, there is still a chance that someone stole the money or personal items. Some of the causes of these disappearances include:
- Financial abuse: Financial abuse occurs when someone steals seniors’ credentials so that they can gain access to their money or other valuable assets. Many care providers work paycheck to paycheck and for relatively low wages.
- Forgetfulness: As seniors age, many seniors become more forgetful. This can result in misplacing personal items, which may appear as if someone stole those items.
There are other ways that seniors’ money and personal items can go missing that are not covered on this list. If your loved one is living in a nursing home and is having problems with their money or personal items going missing, they may be the victim of financial abuse. You can combat this by checking financial accounts and assets, as well as seeking legal action to have a lawyer help you investigate and file a lawsuit if necessary.
Elder Abuse
Elder abuse is any form of abuse that seniors face while in the care of a nursing facility. It is becoming a bigger problem across the United States as nursing facilities continue to be understaffed, and staff members are not paid very well. Fortunately, there are organizations that are trying to uncover all of the causes of elder abuse in nursing facilities. According to a study published by St. Catherine University Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers, elder abuse can be addressed by improving training and education resources for nursing facility staff members.
By changing the training and teaching methods for nursing staff, it may be possible to better prepare them for the changes in nursing home care. This training should focus on stress management, ethics, and problem resolution. In some cases, additional training in work-related tasks may improve staff members’ efficiency so that they can handle the work of multiple caregivers. Since the shortage of staff members is not likely to be resolved soon, this may be an effective method of addressing the problem.
For a free legal consultation with a Newark Missing Money or Personal Items Lawyer serving Newark, call (800) 794-0444
Seeking Legal Action
Dealing with financial abuse can be particularly challenging, but legal professionals are taking on those cases at an increasing rate. There are better resources for identifying and understanding financial abuse than there have been in the past.
The United States Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative is leading the effort to address financial abuse within nursing homes. Its work shows that the number of cases is increasing. However, more institutions and facilities are able to catch financial abuse cases before they go on for too long.
If your loved one may be the victim of financial abuse, you can consult a lawyer on what steps to take next. Your lawyer will likely recommend that you worked together to investigate any potential financial abuse, and your lawyer will file a lawsuit. This lawsuit will either be against the staff member that committed the abuse or the facility that did not offer protection for your loved one. In some cases, both entities can be sued together, depending on the details of the case.
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Statute of Limitations
Many people file personal injury cases against nursing homes that did not provide adequate care for their loved ones. If your loved one is experiencing problems with their nursing home, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the facility.
A statute of limitations is designed to get people to file lawsuits in a timely manner. If you wait a long time to file a lawsuit, it makes that lawsuit more difficult to finish. In that time, evidence can disappear and staff members can leave for other jobs, making it hard to call them as witnesses. To ensure that this does not become a problem, discuss your case with your lawyer and begin the legal process as soon as you are able. This will make it easier for your lawyer to compile evidence from multiple sources to build your case.
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Call to Schedule a Free Consultation
If your loved one is having problems with money or personal items going missing while in the care of a nursing facility, you may be able to file a lawsuit to seek compensation. To do this, consult a Newark missing money or personal items lawyer to see what legal options you have. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 201-3999 to discuss your case with our team. The consultation is free.
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