Learn More About Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse and How a Lawyer Can Help

If someone you love is a victim of nursing home negligence, contact a Weitz & Luxenberg lawyer today by filling out this simple form.

One of the most difficult decisions a family can face is whether to put a loved one in a nursing home. You have your loved one's best interests in mind, and you want to make sure they receive sufficient care. When you put someone you love in a nursing home, you expect them to be looked after, kept safe, and watched over.

Sadly, for many nursing home residents, the standard of care they and their families should reasonably expect is not met. Too often, residents become victims of abuse and neglect, which can result in failure to thrive, injury, needless suffering, and death.

Common forms of nursing home abuse and neglect include:

• Falls and fractures - a major cause of disability and death in the elderly. A fall or fracture caused by unsafe conditions or inadequate supervision may lead to a decline in the general health of the patient. Immobility resulting from a fall or fracture may result in the formation of pressure sores.
• Pressure sores - caused by prolonged pressure or rubbing on vulnerable areas of the body, often occurring when a patient is confined to a bed for long periods of time. Examples include pressure points on the lower back (near the tail bone or sacrum or iliac crest), hips, ankles, heels and elbows, as well as the ear. If a pressure sore becomes severely infected, it can be an indication that proper medical care was not given.
• Malnutrition and dehydration - caused by meals that are insufficient, non-nutritious, or missed altogether and when there is an insufficient supply of fluids. Malnutrition and dehydration can lead to a weakened immune system, low blood pressure (which can cause strokes and heart attacks), and greater susceptibility to infection.
• Verbal abuse - includes threatening, intimidating, or demeaning comments directed at a resident, regardless of whether or not they can understand what is being said.
• Physical and sexual assault - includes touching of a sexual or threatening nature, and any improper and or sexually oriented contact with a resident.
• Wandering and elopement - losing track of a resident's whereabouts, especially in cases of elopement, when a resident who requires supervision leaves a nursing facility unaccompanied without supervision.
• Wrongful death - the most serious form of nursing home negligence, when a resident dies prematurely from any of the above examples.

If you suspect a loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse, negligence, or neglect, please take a moment to contact Weitz & Luxenberg for your free legal consultation. You may call us, toll free, at 1 (800) 476-6070, email us at clientrelations@weitzlux.com, or fill out the form you see to the right. A Client Relations Representative will contact you shortly to review your case and discuss your legal options.

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see also:

The Law Medical Negligence Law - Hospital and Nursing Home Neglect
Laws about Medical Negligence, Hospital Error & Nursing Home Neglect

Symptoms Is a Family Member Experiencing Symptoms of Nursing Home Abuse? Lawyer
Know the symptoms of nursing home abuse and consider a lawsuit

News & Warnings Official Nursing Home Neglect and Medical Negligence research
Read official publications: Nursing Home Neglect & Medical Negligence