Nursing homes are meant to be places dedicated to protecting and caring for those who may not be able to care for themselves. Unfortunately, however, nursing homes do not always exercise the level of care you would expect.
In fact, nursing home abuse affects thousands of families in the United States each and every year. From physical abuse to financial exploitation and everything in between, the extent and severity of nursing home abuse is more egregious than many might be aware of.
If you or a loved one has suffered neglect or abuse at the hands of a nursing home or its employees and representatives, you may have a legal claim for relief. Use our guide below to learn more about five of the most common types of nursing home abuse and see how Silva Injury Law can help you recover today.
What Kind Of Nursing Home Abuse Can Support A Lawsuit?
Nursing home abuse can take many forms. The most common types of nursing home abuse include:
- Physical abuse,
- Emotional abuse,
- Neglect,
- Sexual abuse, and
- Financial abuse.
While nursing home abuse is not always easy to spot, we have prepared a guide outlining the most common types of nursing home abuse and how they occur.
#1 Physical Abuse
When people hear about nursing home abuse, many will automatically think that physical abuse is happening within the nursing home. Physical abuse is sometimes the easiest to detect and can cause severe, even life-threatening injuries. Physical abuse within a nursing home can include:
- Hitting,
- Slapping,
- Pinching,
- Pushing,
- Intentionally causing pain, and
- Grabbing.
Physical abuse can leave obvious signs like bruises, cuts, or abrasions on a person’s body. However, these signs can appear in areas not readily visible to the naked eye. If your loved one resides in a nursing home and is suffering from physical abuse, contact one of our attorneys at Silva Injury Law as soon as possible.
#2 Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse can cause just as much damage as physical abuse, despite the fact that it can be harder to discover. Emotional or verbal abuse can include:
- Isolation,
- Insults,
- Intimidation or threats,
- Yelling or shouting at a patient,
- Ignoring a patient,
- Preventing a patient from participating in social activities, and
- Blackmailing a patient.
Emotional abuse is a more subtle form of abuse than physical abuse. This can result in family members missing signs that their loved one is facing psychological torment. Emotional abuse can have a serious effect on a patient’s mental and physical well-being.
#3 Neglect
Nursing home neglect occurs when the staff of a nursing home fails to meet the needs of their patients. For example, the following constitute nursing home neglect:
- Lack of adequate supervision,
- Unsanitary rooms or common areas,
- Dangerous conditions on the premises,
- Negligent hiring practices, and
- Failure to provide adequate medical care.
If you think your loved one is facing neglect in a nursing home, contact our office right away. Your loved one could recover compensation for the harm that they suffered.
#4 Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse in a nursing home occurs when someone engages in non-consensual sexual activity with a nursing home resident. That can include any form of sexual activity, from sexual battery to rape.
This does not include situations when two nursing home residents form a consensual romantic relationship.
#5 Financial Abuse
As you may know, it is often too easy to convince a senior citizen to fork over their hard-earned money if you provide a good enough reason. Unfortunately, some nursing home employees use this to their advantage. Financial abuse occurs when a caretaker uses their influence over a senior citizen to exploit them financially. This can include:
- Using a resident’s credit or debit cards without authorization;
- Forging documentation with the resident’s signature; or
- Stealing the resident’s money directly.
Financial abuse can lead to devastating consequences down the road when your loved one realizes they are out of funds.
How Silva Injury Law Can Help
At Silva Injury Law, we’ve helped countless personal injury victims as they fight for their rights. We can assist with:
- Gathering evidence,
- Assessing potential damages,
- Negotiating with opposing parties, and
- Taking your case to trial when settlement isn’t possible.
No matter what your case requires, we will do everything within our power to get you the results you deserve. Moreover, we never charge upfront fees or costs, so you won’t pay us a penny unless we are able to collect money for you.
When you’re ready to discuss your case and pathway to recovery, give Silva Injury Law a call to see what our team can do for you.
Find Out How We Can Help
At Silva Injury Law we promote healing through compassionate advocacy. With each case tailored to the individual, we look our for your best interests by evaluating your unique circumstances. Contact us today for a FREE in person or remote consultation.