Surprise Visits to Your Loved One’s Nursing Home Can Help You Spot Abuse or Neglect
It’s not always easy for the families of nursing home residents to determine if they’re being abused or neglected. In many cases, staff members become very good at hiding the signs of abuse or neglect. When questioned about bruises, dehydration, or other signs of mistreatment, they may have convenient excuses or explanations ready.
This leaves many families wishing they could catch staff members in the act when they suspect their loved ones are being abused or mistreated. While there’s no surefire way to see it happening in person, there is a way to increase your chances of getting more definitive proof that your loved one is being mistreated, and that’s by making surprise visits to their nursing home.
If you normally visit on a set schedule—every Saturday at 10 a.m., for example—staff members will start to expect you. On those days, they may give your loved one the red-carpet treatment to reduce the risk of being caught abusing or neglecting them.
However, if you show up unexpectedly at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday, you may see their treatment of your loved one change. Families have reported seeing their loved ones left alone in their rooms or common areas for long periods of time upon making surprise visits, as well as signs of abuse that occurred just before they arrived.
If you suspect abuse or neglect are occurring to your loved one at their nursing home, Skolrood Law Firm wants to help. Contact our Roanoke nursing home abuse lawyers today for a free consultation.
Abused or Neglected Assisted Living Residents Can File Claims, Too
When families are making the decision to move their loved ones into care facilities, they’re usually presented with two options: an assisted living facility or a nursing home. Assisted living facilities are typically for residents who are in relatively good health, are mostly independent, and want privacy. Nursing homes are typically for residents in poorer health and who need more assistance with daily living tasks.
The phrase “elder abuse” makes many people think of nursing homes, but it can happen in assisted living homes, too. Unfortunately, many families aren’t as vigilant for signs of abuse in their loved ones when they live in assisted living facilities. That’s because they may think of their loved ones as being healthy, active, and independent enough to not be victimized by staff members or other residents.
When assisted living residents are abused, they may be intimidated into silence. And because it can be difficult to get into assisted living facilities due to long wait lists, they may be afraid of speaking out because they think their families will have to start all over and move them to other facilities.
No inconvenience is worth the physical and emotional toll that abuse can have on residents, whether they’re in good or poor health. At Skolrood Law Firm, our Roanoke nursing home abuse lawyers work hard to help abused residents and their loved ones get maximum compensation after mistreatment in all types of facilities, ranging from assisted living facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and traditional nursing homes.
If you suspect your loved one has been abused, contact us right away. We’ll collect evidence to prove your loved one’s rights were violated, and we’ll negotiate to get your family the money you deserve.
Nursing Homes Often Deny Abuse or Neglect Occurred
Noticing signs of abuse or neglect in a loved one who lives in a nursing home is devastating. That’s why many families are eager to file damages claims or lawsuits against the nursing homes that allowed their loved ones to suffer harm. But those families often face a major hurdle when it comes to getting compensation, and that is the nursing homes denying the abuse or neglect ever happened.
Just as hospitals and healthcare clinics are well protected against medical malpractice claims, so too are nursing homes against nursing home abuse claims. The administrators know how to handle such claims, and it often starts with them simply denying that any negligent or dangerous behavior happened.
For many families, this can be extremely frustrating, especially when they have seemingly clear evidence of their loved one’s abuse or neglect in the form of bruises, weight loss, dehydration, and more. But because nursing homes know how to protect themselves, it can be difficult for the average families to get compensation for their loved ones.
That’s where we come in. At Skolrood Law Firm, our Roanoke nursing home abuse lawyers have decades of experience building compensation claims for families and residents who were affected by abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. We build claims that are packed with evidence that nursing homes can’t ignore, and if they do, we don’t hesitate to take them to trial.
If your loved one was harmed in their nursing home, we want to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
