Wakefield, RI Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Nursing home abuse is not something any of us wants to believe happens with any regularity, but unfortunately, it does. Statistics surrounding nursing home abuse are grim. It has been reported that an estimated 5 million seniors are abused every year and a high percentage of those abused are clients in a nursing home or care facility. Among professionals in the field, it is generally accepted that nursing home abuse is significantly underreported.
Among the practice areas personal injury lawyers litigate is nursing home abuse. Rhode Island nursing home abuse attorneys help clients and victims navigate the laws governing nursing home abuse compensation.
The nursing home abuse attorneys at Marasco & Nesselbush have the experience and compassion to help families and residents who have suffered injury from nursing home abuse or neglect. For help in Wakefield or throughout the state of Rhode Island call Marasco & Nesselbush at (401) 783-0000.
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Rhode Island Nursing Home Residents
A patient in a nursing home may have memory difficulties such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease which may make them a target of abuse. Physical limitations, isolation, mental illness, frailty all make the patient in a nursing home or care center vulnerable.
Conditions in many nursing care facilities are lacking due to insufficient staff, including nurses and caregivers. Short-staffed facilities cannot deliver the care residents are promised and that often leads to abuse and neglect.
Placing a loved one in the care of a facility is the ultimate act of trust. While families do their best to research and find the best care available, often choices are limited by insurance policies and availability. It is critical that family members are alert to signs of abuse and report any suspicions or incidents to the proper authorities.
Types Of Rhode Island Nursing Home Abuse
There are many ways in which a resident in a nursing home can suffer injury, not all injuries are due to abuse. However, nursing homes have been entrusted by families to provide for and protect the residents in their care and therefore have a duty to protect their patients from personal injury.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elder abuse as “intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the elder.”
There are 4 main types of abuse residents may suffer in a nursing home.
- Physical abuse: Acts of physical violence such as hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching etc. Unlawful or excessive restraint by physical or chemical means is also considered physical nursing home abuse.
- Emotional Abuse: Using verbal, or nonverbal acts to cause pain or distress is emotional nursing home abuse. Verbal assaults, name-calling, humiliation, taunting, insults etc.
- Financial Abuse: It is illegal and considered nursing home abuse to improperly use a resident’s money, possessions, assets, etc. Included in financial abuse is deceiving a resident into signing a document or will.
Nursing home physical abuse is a tragedy suffered by too many Wakefield seniors. Families that suspect a loved one has been subjected to abuse in a nursing home are encouraged to contact an attorney as soon as possible after their loved ones safety is secured. A Rhode Island nursing home abuse attorney is uniquely qualified to seek justice for their clients through financial compensation for damages. Seeking damages in a nursing home abuse case can help the client recover from the financial burden the abuse causes. A client can also feel at peace knowing that the staff member and nursing home is held accountable for their actions. Nursing home abuse lawyers have a thorough understanding of the law governing Wakefield, Rhode Island nursing home abuse cases and are in the best position to help their client recover.
Marasco & Nesselbush are Rhode Island nursing home abuse lawyers who understand the devastation this abuse causes, for the client and the family. If you or a loved one have suffered nursing home abuse, contact Marasco & Nesselbush for a free consultation. With experience in all practice areas of personal injury law, Marasco & Nesselbush has the resources and staff of professionals to assist you as their client.
Nursing Home Neglect Practice Areas
Neglect in nursing homes happens when a resident isn’t given the services agreed upon and the nursing home or staff fails to fulfill their obligation and duty to care for a resident. A patient who has suffered neglect hires a lawyer to prove what actions were not taken, the harm that was done as a result of the neglect and the damages that occurred. Abuse on the other hand, has the legal focus of what was done to a client that caused injury and damage.
Common ways in which a client can suffer neglect are:
- Lack of food and/or water
- Failure to provide adequate incontinence care
- Ignoring client’s requests for help
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Failure to bath, launder clothes, brush teeth
- Not providing prescribed medication
- Lack of supervision/no accident prevention
- Ignoring medical needs
Medical Malpractice and related legal practice areas are often included in nursing home neglect cases. Residents in nursing homes deserve the same quality of care legally afforded anyone else. When a client is looking for a lawyer to help with a nursing home case, it may be valuable to consider attorneys with medical malpractice listed as one of their practice areas.
The attorneys at Marasco & Nesselbush have a wealth of experience in the practice areas of medical malpractice, nursing home law, and a variety of other practice areas. If you or a loved one have suffered at the hands of a nursing home, the attorneys at Marasco & Nesselbush can help. As a client of Marasco & Nesselbush, you have legal representation when negotiating with insurance companies, the resources to investigate the truth behind the abuse. As a client, you have all the support and knowledge required to hold a nursing home or physician responsible for their negligent actions.
For help in all practice areas of personal injury law, contact Wakefield personal injury attorneys at Marasco & Nesselbush. Marasco & Nesselbush offer injury victims and their families a free, no-obligation case review, a network of medical experts, require absolutely no fee unless your case is successful and most importantly, years of experience in handling cases just like yours.
The award-winning team at Marasco & Nesselbush is one of Rhode Island’s most trusted law firms, Call Now (401) 783-0000.
