Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Houston, TX
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Houston, TX
Protecting the Elderly from Nursing Home Abuse Enlist the Help of a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Houston, TX Families Trust
Protecting the Elderly from Nursing Home Abuse
If you or someone you love has suffered from abuse and neglect in a nursing home, it may make sense to contact a nursing home abuse lawyer in Houston, TX from John K. Zaid & Associates. Abuse and neglect are two words that many people do not want to consider, especially when it comes to their elderly parents whom they have placed in a nursing home. It can be shocking to hear that abuse in nursing homes is all too common.
Unfortunately for some, the trauma from abuse can leave a lasting impact on a person for a number of years. When the emotional impact is coupled with physical injuries, the results can be devastating. We can file a personal injury claim on your family’s behalf against the nursing home. Call us for a free case review with one of our attorneys.
Protecting Elders’ Rights
Our Texas nursing home lawyers protect the rights of elders from persons and facilities that may have harmed them. At John K. Zaid & Associates, we work with families who wish to pursue personal injury claims against those who were abusive toward their loved one. Elder abuse is not uncommon, and it is a serious issue with potentially long ranging effects for victims. A claim against those responsible may prevent further abuse of residents as well as provide the financial resources that families need in order to provide needed care of their elder.
A nursing home abuse lawyer in Houston, TX has years of combined experience in pursuing compensation for deserving families. Call us today for a free consultation to discuss your case.
Why Many Families Choose Nursing Homes for Their Elders
Whether or not to place your aging loved one in an assisted living community or nursing home is a decision that should be carefully contemplated. Taking this step can be an emotional decision for all involved. Every TX nursing home abuse lawyer in Houston from John K. Zaid & Associates understands that there are a number of reasons for a family to choose a nursing home for their parent:
- Their health and medical needs have advanced beyond what you are able to manage alone. For instance, your loved one may be suffering from ailments that require constant medical care.
- It may no longer be safe for a person to live on their own because they cannot take care of themselves. This is especially the case for those suffering from dementia, depression, or a type of chronic disease
- Nursing homes can be more cost-effective than taking care of an elderly family member in one’s own home.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
You will want to make every attempt to ensure that your loved one is not being harmed when they are placed in a nursing home. In some situations, no matter how many precautions you take, abuse may be something that you cannot prevent. It is not uncommon for an abuse victim to keep the abuse a secret. They may feel ashamed and fearful. They may also be scared of the repercussions if they report the abuse to you. Because of these reasons, you cannot rely solely on your loved one to report abuse. It will be important that you are visiting frequently and know the common signs that nursing home abuse is occurring. Here are some tips for spotting abuse or neglect:
- There will be more obvious signs of physical abuse that include:
- Unexplained broken bones.
- Bruises or lacerations on a person’s body.
- Marks on their wrists from being restrained or grabbed.
- Living conditions that are dirty or unsafe.
- Venereal disease or infections, bruising, etc.
- If the caregiver will not leave you alone with your loved one, it may be a sign that they do not want the elderly person to disclose anything to you.
- Bedsores are a serious symptom of neglect as it means that the patient was left in bed for a period of time without being turned.
Although the details of abuse can be disturbing, it is important to be able to recognize the signs. If you notice any of these signs, report them to a Houston nursing home abuse lawyer in TX from John K. Zaid & Associates.
Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been abused and/or neglected in a nursing home, give us a call. We have experience handling cases that are of a sensitive nature. Let us protect the rights of your loved one by filing a personal injury claim against the facility or caregiver who inflicted pain upon your loved one. If you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected, request a free consultation with a member of our compassionate legal team from John K. Zaid & Associates.
How Staffing Plays a Significant Factor
When a nursing home does not employ a sufficient number of trained staff members, the residents may not receive the degree and quality of care that they need. As a result, the resident may be neglected and develop bed sores or other physical as well as emotional conditions. In addition, when a nursing home is short staffed, the overburdened employees may become disgruntled and take out their frustrations on the residents by being abusive physically or verbally.
Nursing homes can experience a number of issues. With the elderly population on the rise, nursing home facilities are faced with an influx of people needing nursing home care. As a result, nursing homes are under particular stress to provide their residents with appropriate levels of care. It can be a tough balance for nursing homes to keep residents safe while also giving them the freedom they require to live their lives with dignity. Nursing homes today may be susceptible to serious problems when it comes to developing customized plans for residents. Ultimately, the results of this can have a significant impact on the quality of life for residents.
Understaffed and Underpaid
Nursing homes require staffing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because of this, it can be difficult to always have the number of staff needed to keep the nursing home up and running. This can result in staff who are overworked, overwhelmed underpaid and stressed. Unfortunately, when people feel overworked and underappreciated, they may be more likely to experience frustration in the workplace. Elderly residents are a vulnerable population that may be more susceptible to experiencing abuse when placed in settings where staffing is an issue.
Substandard Training of Staff
If a nursing home employee has not received the specialized training that is required to properly care for residents, the residents will suffer. A resident may develop a physical or emotional injury that causes them significant pain. Hiring of staff members without proper background checks. If a nursing home does not perform a thorough background check of an individual before hiring them, the individual might be someone with a record of theft, violence, or abuse. A Texas nursing home abuse lawyer from Houston is aware of how this can place residents at risk of financial abuse, negligence, physical abuse, or emotional abuse.
Putting in Place a Comprehensive Plan of Care
Often staffing issues may result in problems providing residents with the comprehensive care that they require. The reality is that all patients should receive a comprehensive plan of care outlining the services and needs of the patient. Care plans should be completed each year and reviewed every three months and implemented on a daily basis. Care plans should be developed in collaboration with the resident’s doctors, nurses, and family to ensure that the resident is receiving the best care possible.
It’s important for the resident’s guardian or family member to advocate for the resident to ensure that the plan being developed is tailored to their loved one. In order to do so, it’s important for family to come to the table with an idea of the type of care and needs of their loved one to ensure that it is incorporated into the plan.
Senior Residents Can be Impacted
When nursing home facilities struggle to implement state and federal standards, it’s the residents who ultimately suffer. Because the elderly are such a vulnerable population, poor treatment and care may be all too prevalent. As a result of their age and fragility, the damage done to a nursing home resident can be irreparable. Their decline can, at times be directly related to common hardships nursing homes may struggle with.
A Texas nursing home abuse lawyer can give concerned family members examples of ways that residents may be impacted, including:
- When residents do not receive individualized care, their preferences can be lost, causing them to lose their own identities
- More susceptible to mistreatment or abuse if in a setting that is chronically understaffed
- Lack of enrichment activities can socially and mentally impact residents
- May be neglected and not cared for: lacking proper hygiene, isolated in their room for long periods of time, restrained inappropriately
Medication Mistakes
A large number of nursing home residents require medication of one type or another, or various medications that are prescription as well as over-the-counter. If a resident is not provided with the correct dosage of their medications as well as at the prescribed times, they may suffer as a result. Great harm can be done to them due to the carelessness or negligence of the nursing home staff.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Home Law, Explained
If your loved one has been a victim of negligence in a nursing home, you may not know where to start when it comes to getting justice. This can be a confusing time and you may have a lot of questions, so to make sure you are as informed as possible, a nursing home abuse lawyer from Houston at John K. Zaid & Associates can answer some frequently asked questions about nursing home law:
What Rights Do Nursing Home Residents Have?
If the nursing home is federally funded by Medicare, there are specific guidelines the nursing home must abide by. This includes being free of verbal, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse as well as prohibits the use of chemical or physical restraint for disciplinary purposes. Additionally, if the nursing home is state-funded, there are specific laws each institution must follow, which vary from state to state.
What Exactly Qualifies As Nursing Home Neglect?
Nursing home neglect is defined as the patient going without specific services that are essential to their health and safety, such as adequate food, shelter, medicine, and medical supervision. It is also important to note that under nursing home law, it doesn’t matter if these cases of neglect were intentional or careless, they are all under the same jurisdiction. At the end of the day, if your loved one has been hurt under the care of a nursing home, their rights deserve to be fought for and a Texas nursing home abuse lawyer can help.
Is There Such Thing As Nursing Home Exploitation?
Yes, and nursing home exploitation can definitely be tried in a court of law. However, it does vary by state what exactly is defined as exploitation. Some of these definitions include:
- A nursing home taking wrongful use of another person’s resources for a personal advantage
- Misuse and exploitation of a patient’s funds, their property, or their person
- Resources were obtained through extreme pressure, deception, duress, and/or false pretenses.
- Identity theft, cheap labor, and extortion
Are There Specific Signs of Nursing Home Neglect to Look Out For?
While neglect and exploitation can show itself it many different ways, there are some specific signs to look out for. These symptoms can show themselves through:
- Bruises
- Cracked lips (shows signs of dehydration)
- Bedsores
- Lack of energy
- Fast weight loss
- Lack of eye contact
Additionally, there are some things to look for when it comes to confronting the nursing home staff about your loved one’s condition. When you ask them about what happened, make sure to keep an eye out for:
- Refusal to answer what happened
- Excessive verbiage and speaking on and on
- Differing stories from multiple staff members
- Excessive reassurance that everything will be fine
These signs show that there is not a standard of care being followed at the nursing home, and can be a cause for alarm that something is amiss.
Assessing Liability on the Part of a Nursing Home
At the core of a personal injury claim or lawsuit against a nursing home is determining liability. When representing victims, our team can investigate and identify factors that indicate liability. Proving negligence is key for a successful outcome. In this way, the family can collect maximum compensation for their damages which may include pain and suffering, medical treatment, permanent injuries, and more. There are many ways in which negligence can occur.
Seek Legal Intervention Immediately
All of these and more can be a direct impact of problems nursing homes face. As a result, your loved one could be put at risk for mistreatment. It’s important to take the time to search for the right facility for your loved one and recognize signs there may be a problem later down the road.
If someone you love has been placed in a nursing home and you suspect they are being harmed or not cared for properly, you may want to take the time to ensure their safety. Depending on the severity of the situation, it may be in your best interest to speak with a member of our legal team for intervention.
If your loved one has been a victim of nursing home exploitation or neglect, make sure to contact our professionals at John K. Zaid & Associates, PLLC so we can fight for the rights your loved one deserves. A nursing home abuse lawyer in Houston, TX can bring you the peace your family needs at this time, so call today
