In practice, there is a lawyer ready to defend you for every wrong you experience. A nursing home negligence lawyer is always available to defend you against any wrongdoing by a nursing home, whether it is in medical care, social life, feeding, or the daily caregiving for which they are paid.
An analysis by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that the U.S. has about 15,600 nursing homes and residents totaling 28,900. A nursing home nurse and caregiver must exercise extreme caution in how residents are treated. Nursing homes were not always the best places to keep your loved ones. However, with constant government regulations, customer feedback, and improvements in societal needs, you can entrust your loved ones to a nursing home caregiver with confidence.
Is your loved one in the hands of a nursing home caregiver? Do you see any bruises or inconsistencies in their body as a result of their carelessness? Then you should speak with a lawyer. In a few moments, we’ll go over why you should hire a nursing home negligence attorney.
What Does a Nursing Home Look Like?
A nursing home can resemble a hospital, complete with hospital facilities for people who require special care. It may also resemble a residential home with various categories of people in need of care. A nursing home is not only for elderly people but also for anyone who requires special care.
Nursing homes are intended for people who do not require hospitalization but are in critical condition and require medical attention. And the majority of people in nursing homes are those who cannot be cared for at home. This could be because of their unique circumstances. It could also be due to their disabilities, which make it difficult for them to carry out daily activities without assistance.
Most nursing homes employ qualified nurses to provide medical care to these residents. People suffering from memory loss, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia diseases, may be admitted to a nursing home. This is done to help and speed up the healing process while also making them feel loved.
Nursing homes can also take the form of residential care homes, where caregivers are on call to meet people’s psychological and emotional needs. Residents in this case have the same sense of belonging. They pick up on the vibes of their family, neighbors, and friends. Couples may stay in the same room in some residential homes.
All of this is intended to provide residents with a sense of belonging, to make them feel loved, wanted, and not alone in their situation. People in nursing homes who have serious drug addictions go through extensive treatment. Typically, qualified nurses and professional consultants are assigned to assist them in overcoming their addictions.
Who is a Nursing Home For?
Over half of those in nursing or residential homes are over the age of 70. Similarly, the majority of these people are women, either widowed, single, or divorced. People 65 and under are another group of people found in nursing homes. These young people must be suffering from a serious illness and have a small circle of family around them.
Nursing homes are also for people who require long-term care as well as those who require immediate care. You know, as we get older and older, several ailments that require attention begin to appear; from eye defects to rheumatism, bone weakness, difficulty remembering, or total memory loss.
It is recommended that you take aging parents or relatives to a nursing home. Also, bring anyone who has any of these illnesses that you will be ignored at home. Aged people require assistance with a variety of activities, including the following:
- Having their baths
- Dressing up
- Taking their daily medications
- Emptying their bowels and bladder
- Having regular exercise
- Making their meals and eating
- Moving around the facility
Reasons People Stay in Nursing Homes
You don’t necessarily take your special-needs loved ones to nursing homes because you don’t care about them. Whatever your reasoning is, it is also valid. The following are some of the reasons why seniors should be admitted to a nursing home for the best possible care.
1. You Feel Drained
The sensation of exhaustion is mutual and natural. It is legal to be exhausted from caring for seniors with special needs. Most of the time, it’s due to your hectic schedule, the nature of your job, or the needs of your nuclear family if you’re married. Even though it is necessary, caring for the elderly can be difficult and overwhelming.
Taking your loved one to a nursing home may be the best decision for them at that time because they will receive the attention that your absence will not provide.
2. You Live Faraway
It will be unfair to expect you to put your life on hold to care for your aging parents if you live away from them, go to work, or pursue a career. You are unable to assist, despite your willingness.
The best solution is to enter a nursing home. In a nursing home, your elderly parents will receive proper medical and personal care.
3. They Can’t Help Themselves
A nursing home was established specifically to meet the needs of people with special needs, people who can’t stop themselves from bathing, eating, going to the restroom, moving around, or using common drugs.
To assist people with their needs, these homes employ qualified nurses and dedicated caregivers. As a result, nursing homes are ideal places for people with special needs.
4. You’ve Run Out of Options
A nursing home is not always the only option for providing care to people with special needs. Still, it appears to be the best option, because residents can relate to and socialize with one another.
Finding a good nursing or residential care home can be difficult, but with careful research, you should be able to find one. Make sure you thoroughly research the nursing home and review the qualifications of each caregiver and nurse. Conduct a test on the behavioral patterns and thought processes of the staff.
Evaluate the staff’s tolerance level as much as possible. You will be able to determine if the nursing home is appropriate for your loved one based on all of these factors.
Nursing Home vs. Residential Care Home
A nursing home and a residential home appear to provide similar care services, but the only difference is the level of care.
A residential care home is like a safe haven for people with special needs, both young and old. They provide the best possible care to those in their care. They provide all caregiving services to residents except medical services. They assist residents in socializing and interacting with their surroundings.
Meanwhile, a nursing home is regarded as a hospital. It is regarded as a caregiving home, with all attention and support provided at the appropriate time, including medical care. They have qualified nurses on standby to provide medical care to residents as needed. Nursing homes, like residential care homes, charge a higher rate because they provide more detailed care to residents.
How Can You Make Your Loved Ones Happy to Be in a New York City Nursing Home?
Moving a loved one from their home to a nursing home in New York City can be difficult, especially if they are unwilling to go. It is your responsibility as families to help them see why they need to be there. You can assist them in becoming at ease and content in their new surroundings.
First, reassure them that they will be fine in their new surroundings. Tell them how much fun they’d have there. Assist them in packing their belongings, such as favorite photos or furniture that will make them feel at home.
Depending on the level of difficulties you faced before convincing your relative to move to a nursing home, if they eventually agreed to move and, for the time being, you discovered they’d been hurt, abused, or neglected. Or, more likely, they haven’t received consistent care in comparison to what is expected; it’s time to hire a lawyer.
Many people who have elderly relatives in nursing homes frequently complain about three major things caregivers do. The following are examples of things that can cause further harm to residents.
1. Lack of Social Interaction
Residents may not be allowed to socialize with one another because they all stay in their rooms. Furthermore, caregivers and nurses have little interaction with residents. The caregiver-resident relationship is supposed to be close enough for both parties to relate well.
This could be due to the organization being understaffed. Most caregivers are tired and worn out, and they become aggressive toward residents as a result.
To avoid this, residents’ families should make regular visits to the nursing home to help their loved ones interact. When residents’ families are available, it reduces the workload for caregivers.
2. Poor Response to Resident’s
Caregivers frequently respond to call buttons late, when nursing home residents may have attempted to help themselves and erred. Nursing home residents are sometimes left in bed for too long, which can result in bed sores.
Also, residents who have been stuck in one place for a long time may want to move without assistance. Most of the time, this attempt results in a dangerous fall that results in broken bones for the resident. Furthermore, residents are left alone in the dining hall after meals, causing them to mess up and have delayed medications. They are sometimes left alone in the bathroom and may sustain injuries as a result.
3. Bad Quality of Food
Another major issue that needs to be addressed in nursing homes is the quality of food served to residents. Most of the time, the food and snacks served to residents are bland in flavor and lack all of the nutrients that residents require. Nursing home administration serves low-nutrition, flavorless food to residents. Residents’ families should speak with management about the low nutritional value of the food their loved ones consume on a daily basis.
As a family member of a nursing home resident, you must pay close attention to any complaint made by your relative and take appropriate action. Poor food quality, as insignificant as it may appear, can result in food poisoning or health deterioration. Slow response may not appear to be dangerous, but it can lead to more complicated health issues for residents, such as dangerous falls or bed sores, or they end up hurting themselves.
All of these factors contribute to nursing home abuse, especially when they occur on a regular basis. It is even more disturbing to say that some of these abuses are committed on purpose by caregivers against residents.
What is Nursing Home Abuse?
Another major issue that needs to be addressed in nursing homes is the quality of food served to residents. Most of the time, the food and snacks served to residents are bland in flavor and lack all of the nutrients that residents require. Nursing home administration serves low-nutrition, flavorless food to residents. Residents’ families should speak with management about the low nutritional value of the food their loved ones consume on a daily basis.
As a family member of a nursing home resident, you must pay close attention to any complaint made by your relative and take appropriate action. Poor food quality, as insignificant as it may appear, can result in food poisoning or health deterioration. Slow response may not appear to be dangerous, but it can lead to more complicated health issues for residents, such as dangerous falls or bed sores, or they end up hurting themselves.
All of these factors contribute to nursing home abuse, especially when they occur on a regular basis. It is even more disturbing to say that some of these abuses are committed on purpose by caregivers against residents.
When to Call for a Lawyer for a Nursing Home Negligence
When residents fall, are sexually abused, are generally negligent, or are taken advantage of, this may result from their vulnerability and inability to help themselves. Neglect can also happen when residents aren’t generally supervised or when caregivers refuse to clean them.
Below are highlights of occasions that necessitate calling a lawyer for nursing home negligence.
- Physical Abuse: This kind of abuse can result from the battery, hits, unintentional falls, or falls from a push. It also includes slapping, force-feeding, and hair-pulling. Physical abuse usually leaves residents with bruises on their bodies.
- Neglect: Here, residents have been neglected without much attention given to them. Neglect includes dirty clothes, dirty bedding, no baths, and rough hair.
- Sexual Abuses: This type includes every sexually related activity carried out by residents without their consent.
- Exploitation: this includes stealing from residents and forging their financial documents, also threatening residents with transferring their assets.
- Emotional Abuse: Here, the residents are either harassed or verbally abused.
What To Do After Calling A Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer
Even after filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit, there are some basic things you are expected to do. They include the following:
- Ensure you always visit the facility regularly to see for yourself what exactly causes the caregiver’s negligence.
- Getting physically involved in caregiving your loved ones will help you find out what the caregiver lacks in their caregiver services. And always demand medical records of your loved one.
- As what you have seen is incompatible with what you would be told. You should endeavor to document everything you see and feel that causes neglect toward your elderly relatives.
Nursing home abuse may eventually lead to bigger problems like hospitalization, disabilities, or future medical complications. It can also cause depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues. Besides, it may ultimately lead to the deaths of residents.
Why You Need a Lawyer for Nursing Home Negligence in Queens, New York
If you discover that your senior family members in a nursing home have been abused in any way and the management covers it up, get a lawyer. The New York law made provisions for the abuse of older people in nursing homes. Therefore, your older adults deserve justice for any inappropriate treatment they receive.
Here are why you need a lawyer for nursing home negligence:
1. A Lawyer Can Hasten Up the Case
Unlike going to demand compensation directly from a nursing home for harm done to your elders, it is necessary to go through an attorney.
New York’s law on nursing home cases is backed by federal and state law. Therefore, it includes that an abuse case against a resident can be filed if it’s within three years of the incident taking place.
Therefore, while the case registration is ongoing, the attorney will gather evidence and conduct a questioning investigation. These investigations will be done against both the caregiver and the nursing home. Cases of abuse can cause the credibility of a nursing home to decrease.
2. The Nursing Home Will Find Every Means to close the case.
The first mistake you would make is believing that something will be done after you report abuse against your relative to the management. The fact remains that even the nursing home has covered its dignity and would want to protect its external image.
They may convince you that you should not worry about it as they will settle it internally, or they may even deny such a thing happened. The best thing to do in this situation is to make a complaint to a nursing home negligence lawyer once you suspect any form of abuse. They are in a position to tell you what to do and how to go about the case.
3. The Lawyer Helps You Recover the Cost of the Damage
Perhaps you’ve spent more than enough on medical bills since your loved one was taken to the nursing home. If that is your case, there are certain damage costs you are entitled to.
You can seek compensation for past and present medical bills incurred due to the caregiver’s negligence. The New York Law has provided that any amount incurred for treatment must be refunded. However, only non-economic loss is refunded with the help of a nursing home negligence attorney.
4. Nursing Home Lawsuits are Complex
Nursing home cases are complex to navigate. That is the reason a lawyer is there to help you. They help you in the filing process and help you avoid the mistake of posting your case on social platforms. A New York nursing home attorney will help you get all the medical compensation you deserve.
5. A Nursing Home Attorney Is What You Need
You particularly need an attorney to report cases of nursing home lawsuits, especially when you see the trauma your loved one is passing through.
Vulnerable and helpless people are mostly taken advantage of, but seniors’ health is assured with the York Laws for nursing homes.
Contact a New York Nursing Home Negligence Attorney
You may have been searching for a law firm to help you file the nursing home abuse claims your seniors have encountered. At Gregory Spektor and Associates, we provide legal assistance for personal injury services, nursing home negligence services, medical malpractice services, and wrongful death lawsuit representation.
Our qualified staff is ever ready to receive and educate you concerning all wrongful acts against you or your loved ones. We offer a free consultation to new clients who would like to know us better, and we don’t charge you until your case is won.
Gregory Spektor and Associates never permit any wrongdoings against you to go without adequate compensation, as we offer high-quality legal representation. Our law firm personally sees to it that you get financial compensation for all losses. We ensure that our assisted living facility residents receive proper medical treatment.
Contact us today and book an appointment with us.
