Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Charlotte, NC
If you are looking for a Charlotte, NC nursing home abuse lawyer, you are not alone. Nursing home abuse is a growing problem in the United States, and the victims of this abuse often have nowhere to turn. If you or someone you love is suffering from nursing home abuse, it is important to seek legal help. A lawyer can help protect your loved ones by ensuring that their rights are respected and that they receive the justice they deserve. Contact a lawyer today at Ted A Greve & Associates for help.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
It can take many forms, such as physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The definition of nursing home abuse is any action or inaction by an individual or organization that leads to harm, suffering, or death of a person in a nursing home. Nursing home abuse can range from inappropriate touching to the withholding of food and medicine. It is important to recognize the signs of abuse so that it can be prevented and stopped.
- Physical abuse involves any type of bodily harm to an individual. This can include hitting, pushing, slapping, burning, restraining, or administering unnecessary medications. Physical abuse often results in bruises, broken bones, sprains, cuts, and other visible signs of trauma.
- Emotional abuse occurs when someone says hurtful things or threatens an individual with harm. This type of abuse can leave lasting emotional scars and can be just as damaging as physical abuse.
- Sexual abuse is any type of non-consensual sexual contact or activity with a person in a nursing home. This can include anything from groping and fondling to rape.
- Financial abuse occurs when someone takes advantage of a vulnerable individual’s finances or resources. This could involve taking money or property without permission or forging a signature on legal documents.
- Neglect is when a person responsible for providing care fails to do so in a reasonable manner. This includes failure to provide adequate food, water, clothing, hygiene, or medical care.
- Exploitation is when someone takes advantage of a vulnerable individual’s trust in order to gain access to their money or resources. This could include pressuring someone into signing legal documents or convincing them to give away valuable items.
If you need further clarification or guidance for your particular situation, please consider speaking with our qualified Charlotte nursing home abuse lawyer.
How Do I Know if My Loved One Is Being Abused?
First it will be important to speak with an experienced Charlotte nursing home abuse lawyer from Ted A Greve & Associates to ensure your loved one’s rights are protected. It can be difficult to know if your loved one is being abused in a nursing home. Many signs of abuse can be easily overlooked and it can be difficult to determine what is an indication of abuse and what is not. Some signs of physical abuse may include: bruises, cuts, burns, bedsores, or fractures that do not have an obvious explanation. Other signs may include the withholding of food or water, the refusal to provide medical care, or any kind of mistreatment that results in emotional distress or injury. Signs of emotional abuse may include: agitation, withdrawal, unusual changes in behavior, or isolation from other residents or staff. Your loved one may also appear fearful or intimidated by certain staff members. If you suspect your loved one is being abused in any way, it is important to take action and report the suspected abuse immediately. You should contact the nursing home and report your concerns and document any and all evidence of abuse.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me?
When a loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse, it can be difficult to know how to best protect them. A qualified lawyer will help you understand the legal process, including filing a claim and preparing for a trial. They can also help you determine the best course of action for your loved one, such as filing a lawsuit or seeking a settlement. Additionally, they can represent you in court if necessary.
Steps To Take When Filing a Nursing Home Abuse Claim
When you find out that your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, you may not be sure how to react. You may feel hurt for your loved one. Betrayed that an institution that is supposed to protect your loved one would do this. Angry that someone would ever hurt or neglect your loved one in any way. Whether you feel all of these feelings at once or they hit you in stages, it is crucial that you seek help from a lawyer you can rely on during this time. You want to know that your loved one will finally be in good hands and that there is justice for the kind of pain and abuse they have endured.
Are nursing home abuse and negligence the same thing?
Abuse may sound worse, but the truth is that your loved one can still get seriously hurt if their caretaker at the nursing home was negligent. Negligence can come in the form of:
- Failing to give your loved one the medications that they need
- Failing to keep them clean and allowing your loved one to stay in an unsanitary environment
- Allowing untrained staff members to work with your loved one.
When you suspect that your loved one is not getting the care they need or has been intentionally abused, our Charlotte nursing home abuse lawyer can help you seek justice. If you believe you have seen signs of abuse or neglect, you should:
- Call the authorities. If you believe this situation is emergent or your loved one is in a life-threatening situation, you should seek help from the local authorities or call emergency responders to get your loved one to a hospital. This can happen if your loved one is not getting the medicine they need for serious injuries or illnesses or if they are not responsive.
- Get your loved one to safety. Even if you don’t believe the situation is emergent, you should get your loved one out of the nursing home they are in when you believe that the abuse is ongoing. Whether this means bringing them home with you or putting them into a different eldercare facility if you are unable to care for them, ensure you keep accurate records, documentation, and receipt of this transfer.
- Speak to a lawyer. Your lawyer will know exactly what to do. They understand the different signs of neglect and abuse and can work with you to fight against the person or company who allowed this kind of abuse to happen. Your lawyer will be able to gather evidence, speak with witnesses if there are any, and look at paper trails. A lawyer can learn how far back this abuse went and can even look into if this has happened to others at the same facility.
Your loved one should not have to be concerned that this will happen again and neither should you. If you are ready to pursue a nursing home abuse claim, reach out to our team for more information.
If you suspect your loved one is being abused, contact a Charlotte nursing home abuse lawyer at Ted A Greve & Associates today for help.
Abandonment
As a Charlotte, NC nursing home abuse lawyer has seen before, abandonment is defined as when a caregiver leaves a senior person on their own to fend for themselves when they need assistance. Residents can be outright abandoned by the staff at the nursing home facility, such as dropping them off on the street or at a halfway house, with or without informing their relatives. Essentially, abandonment means that the facility did not ensure that the person was able to properly receive the care they needed. If abandonment happened to your loved one, we urge you to contact us at Ted A. Greve & Associates.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse may also be called psychological or verbal abuse, and happens when someone threatens or insults a resident as means to control them or instill fear. Examples of emotional abuse can entail insulting the person’s intelligence or appearance, controlling their activities against their will, isolating from other residents or friends and family, making threats, and more. Senior people that suffer from emotional abuse can develop mental health problems for the long term, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Physical Abuse
At a nursing home, this type of abuse happens when a resident sustains bodily injury or harm due to a caregiver, doctor, or resident. Examples of physical abuse can entail being kicked or punched, being restrained with ties or straps, getting shoved or pushed, or other interaction that injures the senior person. As a Charlotte nursing home abuse lawyer has seen, common signs of abuse among nursing home residents can include bruises, bleeding, and broken bones. Physical abuse can be committed against anyone, but those with mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s or are unable to communicate fully may be at a higher risk.
Financial Exploitation
Elder abuse in a nursing home can also entail financial exploitation. This is when someone steals from a senior person, or uses manipulation in order to get money from them. Instances of financial abuse can include misusing power of attorney to change the person’s will, preventing the person from accessing or using their own bank account, stealing credit cards or valuables, or stealing financial records and other personal financial details. Financial abuse can be stressful for the victim, as they are not only being taken advantage of but can lose income that pays for their care.
Sexual Assault
Sexual abuse in a nursing home happens when a resident experiences any type of unwanted contact, groping, or touching that is of a sexual nature. Sexual elder abuse can result in physical symptoms such as scratches, bruises, sexually transmitted diseases, and emotional trauma. Devastatingly, sexual elder abuse is often committed against those who have a disability or are unable to give consent. If you suspect that your senior loved one is being abused in a nursing home facility, now is the time to take immediate action to prevent further incidents and hold the offender responsible. Contact us at Ted A. Greve & Associates as soon as possible if that is the case.
