Belleville Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer
We Focus on Our Clients’ Healing
Protect your loved one from neglect – fight for just compensation
When you place a relative in a nursing home or other assisted living facility, you trust that staff will provide the daily care your loved one can no longer handle by him or herself. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Nursing home neglect is a type of elder abuse that differs, slightly, from nursing home abuse. Nursing home abuse occurs when a caregiver intentionally harms a resident; nursing home neglect occurs when substandard care results in harm to a resident. According to the Nursing Home Abuse Center, neglect is the most common form of elder abuse at assisted living facilities, with 95% of patients reporting instances of neglect in the past year.
When a nursing home’s staff fail to provide this care, it qualifies as a “breach of duty,” therefore leaving the facility’s owners open to legal action. If you believe that your loved one has been harmed by neglect in a nursing home, you have the right to sue for compensation. To find out more about filing a claim, call the experienced and compassionate Belleville nursing home abuse attorneys at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC. Dial (618) 230-3069 for a free case evaluation.
Types of Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect can take many forms:
- Basic needs neglect: When a facility’s staff fails to provide for a resident’s basic needs, such as a comfortable environment and place to sleep (not too hot or too cold), adequate food and water, security, assistance with physical needs like getting out of bed or walking, etc.
- Medical neglect: When a facility does not adequately attend to a resident’s medical issues, such as administering medications as needed, or treating resident for minor health issues, like headaches, colds, small cuts, bedsores, etc. Medical neglect also includes not calling a doctor or ambulance for more severe injuries and illnesses.
- Personal hygiene neglect: When a facility’s staff doesn’t provide adequate assistance for bathing (brushing teeth, washing hair, etc.), or does not provide clean clothes or clean bedding.
- Social and emotional neglect: When staff members ignore a resident, refuse to speak to a resident, exclude him from social events, or cause him to be ostracized by other residents.
Signs of Nursing Home Neglect
Family members of a nursing home resident should be on the lookout for the following signs of neglect:
- Facilities that are unclean, unsafe, or in disrepair. Examples might include light bulbs not being replaced, clutter or debris in hallways, dirty bedding or carpets.
- Weight loss and malnutrition in the patient.
- Dehydration in the patient.
- Untreated or infected injuries on the patient.
- Bedsores on the patient.
- Patient has poor personal hygiene, lack of grooming, dirty clothing.
- Patient has disturbing changes in behavior, such as being withdrawn, angry, sad, agitated, etc.
- Patient has lack of friendly interaction with staff and other residents at the facility.
Causes of Nursing Home Neglect
The main reason for nursing home neglect is money. It costs money to hire qualified staff for a nursing home, so many are understaffed or staffed by unskilled, underpaid employees. It also costs money to adequately train staff members who aren’t professional caregivers, so many are not trained. And, of course, food, medication, electricity, gas, water, and laundry services all cost money. Unfortunately, some nursing home owners and managers put their quest for profit above the needs of their residents. You don’t have to stand by and let this happen to your loved one.
Like hospitals, clinics, and other care facilities, nursing homes carry large liability policies. When you file a personal injury claim against them, you will be primarily dealing with their insurance company’s lawyers, whose job it is to diminish the payout you receive. Don’t let this happen.
Instead, contact the team at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC. We put our clients’ well-being first, and our attorneys have the experience and skills to stand up to insurance companies and get you the compensation you deserve. Call 618-641-9189 for a free consultation.