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There are many quality nursing homes around Kentucky. Unfortunately, there are also nursing homes that do not provide quality care and instead, neglect and abuse residents.
Sometimes, even the best nursing homes are guilty of neglecting their residents because they are understaffed. However, there is no excuse when nursing homes don’t provide the care their residents deserve.
If you suspect that your loved one has been the victim of abuse, our Kentucky nursing home abuse lawyers can help your family make the situation right and secure the compensation that can help with medical costs and other expenses related to their injuries.
It takes Kentucky Courage to stand up for mistreated nursing home residents. At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, we are ready to help you fight for your loved one. Call us now for a free and confidential discussion about your legal options.
It’s not always easy to spot nursing home abuse and neglect. In many cases, victims are not even aware that it’s happening. Even when victims do recognize that they are a victim of abuse, they are often too ashamed or embarrassed to report it.
Due to these factors, it’s crucial that family members and friends know the signs of abuse and neglect and regularly look for them. It’s only once the abuse is identified that loved ones can help put a stop to it.
Some of these signs of abuse often occur naturally as a person ages. However, when there are consistent patterns or you notice several of these signs, it could indicate that a loved one is in an abusive situation.
When abuse is suspected, reports should be made to any of these three agencies as soon as possible. When making a report, it’s helpful to include the name and location of the facility, witnesses’ names, and when and where the incident took place.
It’s important to determine who is responsible for nursing home abuse if you suspect it is happening. While it’s natural to automatically think that your loved one’s primary caregiver is responsible, that is not always the case.
Truthfully, there are many people a nursing home resident may come into contact with. Sometimes, a third party may be responsible.
In many instances, the owner or manager of the nursing home is also liable. All of these parties have their own responsibilities and when they are not properly fulfilled, those individuals or companies can be held responsible.
Nursing home property owners and managers can be held liable if they don’t take the proper care in their hiring practices. These individuals must verify the qualifications of potential employees, perform background checks, ensure proper training of staff members, and properly maintain equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers.
Owners and managers of nursing homes must also properly monitor their staff members, provide adequate food, water, medication, and other necessities. They must also ensure the building has proper security measures and reduce exposure to safety and health hazards.
When nursing home facilities fail on any of these duties, they can be held responsible for nursing home abuse and neglect.
In addition to nursing homeowners and managers, nurses and caregivers can also be held civilly liable if they engage in abusive or neglectful behaviors. These individuals also have many responsibilities.
They must provide residents with proper medical attention, dietary assistance, hygiene, and general care. These are critical services and caregivers must act responsibly and professionally at all times. When they neglect to properly fulfill these duties, nurses and caregivers, in addition to their employer, can be held responsible.
There are a number of third parties that can also be held liable for nursing home abuse and neglect. Maintenance staff can be held liable if they neglect to clean up spills that could cause a slip and fall accident, and these individuals must also ensure that handrails and floors are always in good condition.
Manufacturers of products the nursing home uses, such as wheelchairs, must ensure their products are safe to use. When they fail to do this and residents become hurt by defective products, those manufacturers can be held liable.
Other people within the nursing home can also sometimes be held responsible for abuse and neglect. One of the biggest benefits of nursing homes to residents is that they have regular interaction with other residents.
Unfortunately, not all of these are friendly. When one resident causes harm to another, they could be held liable. In these situations, property owners and managers can also be held liable for failing to protect vulnerable residents from harm by others.
Other residents may also have visitors who could cause harm to other residents. Not only can these individuals be held liable, but the nursing home facility can also be held liable for failing to provide proper security and protection.
There are many reasons why it is so important to speak to a nursing home abuse attorney as soon as you suspect abuse or neglect.
An attorney can help with your case in many ways, including:
While working on your case, an attorney can act as an advocate for you and your family member. An attorney can also ensure your loved one’s rights are upheld at all times and fight to seek the full amount of compensation they deserve.
Many people don’t want to file a lawsuit after discovering nursing home abuse. Residents in particular, may not want to go through the process of filing a lawsuit, preferring instead to simply try and move on with their lives.
However, lawsuits involving nursing home abuse and neglect can help this vulnerable sector of society recover compensation that can help with the financial aspect of the abuse, and other losses. A nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit can also protect others from similar mistreatment at the facility.
Due to the severe and shocking nature of nursing home abuse, some courts award punitive damages in addition. These damages are not intended to compensate the nursing home resident for the financial aspect of the abuse.
Instead, they are meant to punish the defendant for extreme recklessness or carelessness. Punitive damages are also meant to deter the individual from acting in the same manner in the future.
It’s important to understand what some of the most common types of nursing home injuries are so you can be on the lookout for them when you visit your loved one.
Some of the injuries to watch out for include:
When any of these injuries, or any others that are not explained, are seen, it’s important to ask the resident about abuse and report it to the proper authorities.
The numbers surrounding nursing home abuse are alarming.
While many family members do not think their loved one could be a victim of abuse, a quick look at the statistics indicates that it happens more often than people would like to think.
Nursing home abuse is an epidemic across the country and here in Kentucky.
If you think your loved one has been a victim, contact our Kentucky nursing home abuse lawyers at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer today. We know how to handle these cases, and we will fight for your loved one’s rights and help them pursue the full amount of compensation they deserve.
Call us now for your free and confidential consultation so we can get started on your case.
