If you detect any worrying signs and symptoms on your elderly loved one, you might wonder whom you should call if you suspect abuse at an assisted living facility. If your loved one or any other residents are in immediate danger or suffer from any serious injuries, you should call 9-1-1 for immediate help and …
If you or your loved one are living in a nursing home facility, it’s important to know your legal rights concerning neglect and abuse as well as safety precautions. With the help of medical experts, our injury lawyers at Pintas & Mullins have answered frequent questions for your benefit. By contacting us for a free consultation, you’re able to seek justice for the pain inflicted on you, or a loved one, by nursing home staff or medical physicians.
Can You Put a Camera in a Nursing Home Room?
Cameras are allowed in nursing home rooms in some states, though whether this right is guaranteed by state statute or by nursing home policy depends on the location of the facility and whether there are multiple residents in the room being recorded. Some restrictions may also apply. Using Cameras to Prevent Nursing Home Abuse According …
What Are Signs of Sepsis in the Elderly?
Medical professionals use three stages to categorize the progression of sepsis. You can also use this as a barometer to determine signs of sepsis in the elderly. These stages are as follows: Early stage: your loved one has a fever, fast heart rate, or rapid breathing. Severe sepsis: your loved one exhibits acute confusion, noticeably …
What Are the 3 Stages of Sepsis?
What are the stages of sepsis? There are three levels of sepsis, and these include sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. This is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a person’s body goes into overdrive in response to an infection. Nursing home patients may experience any of these stages of sepsis as a result of …
Can You Request a Second Opinion For an Autopsy?
If you doubt the findings of an initial autopsy, you can contact an independent pathologist to take a second look at your loved one’s case. A second autopsy, as the name suggests, refers to a postmortem examination that occurs after another party has conducted the first autopsy. People interested in obtaining a second autopsy need …
Are Assisted Living Homes Safe For the Elderly?
The safety of assisted living facilities (ALFs) varies on a case-by-case basis. While some facilities maintain exceptional standards of care, others may not. The federal government does not regulate ALFs. Instead, oversight comes from the state level. A recent study by the Government Accountability Office determined that Medicaid officials in 30 states do not routinely …
Can a Brain Bleed Heal Itself?
While a brain bleed can heal itself, you cannot estimate the extent of the damage without the knowledge of a medical professional. If you believe that you or a loved one has a brain bleed and choose not to seek help, you risk a life-threatening event. A hemorrhagic stroke, or brain bleed, may occur inside …
Have You Witnessed Elderly Abuse?
If you witnessed any physical harm, emotional or psychological abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of an elderly person in a nursing home, you have witnessed elderly abuse. Deciding whether you have witnessed abuse of the elderly and how to report it can feel overwhelming. The following article will help you determine if you have witnessed …
How Do You File a Lawsuit Against a Nursing Home For Abuse Or Neglect?
There are several stages of a nursing home lawsuit. After an injury occurs in a nursing home, an attorney conducts an in-depth investigation of the abuse or neglect claim, determines the validity of evidence, and then files a lawsuit with the appropriate court. If you are filing a case as an individual, you will file …
Can You Sue a Nursing Home For Slips, Trips and Falls?
Similar to any litigation, suing a nursing home for injuries your elderly loved one sustained in a slip, trip, or fall involves proving that negligence occurred. Your incentive to pursue legal action is based on the nursing home’s legal obligation to follow the Standard of Care under the U.S. law. According to this Federal Regulation, …
Does a Broken Bone Hurt?
Yes. All broken bones hurt. Broken bones cause pain, swelling, and inflammation. Depending on the type of injury, an elderly resident may not feel pain specifically at the area where the bone broke, but in other places. For example, broken hips often refer pain to the knees. The resident may also report numbness and tingling …
What Is the First Day of Living in a Nursing Home Like?
Whether you have placed your loved one in a nursing home after a hospital visit, through a transfer from another nursing home, or based on your own decision, you can expect their first day in a nursing home to be busy and challenging. This transition can be difficult, as their medical records will be transferred, …
What Are the Standards for Disaster Preparedness for Nursing Homes?
In 2015, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, coupled with the Administration on Aging (AOA), issued a set of policies called the Emergency Preparedness and Response: Model Policies and Procedures for State Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs. These policies established standards for detailed disaster preparedness plans for nursing homes that every senior living …
Can Someone Be Arrested for Emotional Abuse?
Yes. In Illinois, the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act states that any abuse of a long-term care facility resident can be guilty of a Class 3 felony. Abuse is intentionally or knowingly causing any physical or mental injury. Therefore, under extreme circumstances, law enforcement could arrest a nursing home employee for emotional abuse toward an …
Can a Patient Be Kicked Out of a Nursing Home?
The short answer is no; nursing homes are legally prohibited from kicking out patients. However, their action may be justified if it falls under six exemptions under the law, as seen on the Commonwealth Fund. Even then, there are distinct procedures that the nursing home must follow for their actions to be considered lawful. Reasons …
How Often Are Seniors in Nursing Homes Under-Monitored?
Under-monitored residents in nursing homes have a direct link to under-staffing. As reported by Kaiser Health News, for every one registered nurse in a nonprofit nursing home, there were 28 residents. For every one registered nurse in a for-profit nursing home, which makes up 70% of all nursing homes in the United States, there were …
How to Find the Best Attorney for Elder Abuse?
If you are seeking an elder abuse attorney to represent you, an important consideration is the attorney’s history with elder abuse cases. Elder law is an extensive practice area. Some attorneys handle many different types of law and claim to, but do not specialize in elder abuse. At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we dedicate …