As the baby boomer generation ages the need for more nursing home and assisted living facilities becomes greater. In fact, according to one study, more than half of all adults in this country will require some kind of nursing home care in the future, which is much higher than had previously been predicted. There are already serious issues with understaffing and poorly managed nursing homes and as the need becomes greater, so too will incidents of nursing home abuse and neglect.
According to federal congressional reports, approximately one-third of all nursing homes in this country have been cited for violations that could have/did result in the harm to residents. And almost half of all nursing home resident surveyed say they have been abused and almost all patients surveyed – 95 percent – say they have seen nursing home staff neglect residents.
LEARN MORE
- What to Look For: Two Examples of Nursing Home Abuse
- Lack of Staffing Regulations May Contribute to Rise of Nursing Home Abuse
- Over-Medication and Nursing Home Abuse in Virginia and West Virginia
The following are some of the more common acts of negligence that our North Carolina nursing home abuse attorneys have handled:
- Inadequate resident hygiene routines
- Inattention to injuries or illnesses
- Mismanaged medication, including skipped or incorrect medication
- Not providing adequate and appropriate clothing
- Not providing enough food or water to residents
- Prolonged isolation of residents
Our firm has also successfully represented victims of nursing home abuse who have suffered the following abuses:
- Financial exploitation
- Overuse of restraints or using excessive force to restrain a resident
- Physical Abuse such as hitting, slapping, or kicking
- Purposely humiliating, demeaning, or insulting the resident
- Sexual assault
How Can a North Carolina Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Help?
When families place their elderly loved one in a nursing home, they do so with the trust that the facility will take good care of them. Discovering that instead of being treated with compassion and dignity they deserve, the resident is being abused and/or neglected is devastating.
If you suspect your elderly family member is being abused, contact a North Carolina nursing home abuse attorney to find out what steps you need to take in order to protect your loved one. Your attorney can assist with the correct reporting protocols to ensure that all elderly protection agencies have been notified, including any municipal, state, or federal complaints that should be filed.
Your attorney can also assist in advocating for your elderly loved one by filing a nursing home abuse injury lawsuit. Damages that can be recovered include medical costs, future medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and past and future impairment. Your attorney may also be able to obtain punitive damages if it can be shown that there was malicious intent or extreme cruelty inflicted upon your loved one.
Contact the legal team at Shapiro & Appleton today at (833) 997-1774 for a free consultation to find out how we can help.