There is a difference between nursing home neglect and nursing home abuse. When neglect occurs, the facility’s staff deviates from the proper standard of care for one or more patients. When nursing home abuse occurs, the conduct of one or more members of the nursing home staff goes beyond negligence. It’s intentional. Both neglect and abuse create dangerous conditions, particularly when patients are experiencing serious health conditions and cannot take care of themselves. According to our nursing home abuse lawyer in Joliet, given the aging of America’s baby boomers, expect nursing home neglect and abuse to be on the increase. Here are a few examples of nursing home abuse:
- Physically abusing patients by shoving, hitting or throwing things at them
- Sexual abuse by physically touching, participating in or forcing sexual acts with a patient
- Financial abuse by gaining access to and using a patient’s bank account, debit or credit card
Signs of Abuse
Although
the circumstances surrounding every patient are different, suspicion
of nursing home abuse should arise when you see any of the following:
- Physical abuse when you see a patient being fearful and having signs of injuries that go without explanation. Those might be in the nature of fractures, bruises, scrapes or lacerations.
- Financial exploitation that involves the depletion of the patient’s financial assets, unexplained expenditures, changes in estate planning documents and missing personal property.
Liability
A nursing home
facility can be held liable when a patient has been abused. Here are
some of the theories of liability:
- Negligent hiring
- Inadequate training
- Violation of federal and state statutes
If you believe that
a close friend or family member has experienced nursing home abuse in
or around Will County, contact a nursing home abuse lawyer in Joliet
at Block
Klukas Manzella & Shell, P.C. Ask to
arrange for a free consultation and case review by calling
815-726-9999.
Nursing home patients have rights that should be respected.
