In one study, as reported by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), 44 percent of the 2,000 nursing home residents interviewed in the study revealed that they were abused. What’s more, 95 percent of them reported that they either had been neglected themselves, or had seen a fellow resident neglected.
ABC News reports that between January 1999 and January 2001, there were 5,238 nursing facilities cited for nearly 9,000 instances of abuse – 1,601 of which were severe enough to put the health and even lives of patients at risk. Among the commonly cited instances were bedsores, dehydration, malnutrition, inadequate hygiene and sanitation, and insufficient medical care.
In the abstract, these numbers are bad enough. When your loved one is among the millions of residents living in licensed nursing homes or residential care centers across the country, it brings a new dimension to the problem of nursing home abuse in the U.S.
Elder abuse is a big problem in the U.S. While it isn’t specifically limited to nursing home and residential care facilities, these organizations attract attention for abuse and neglect of patients.
The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home or long-term care facility is one of the toughest families will make. Finding out that abuse has occurred by the hands of the very people you’ve turned to for help in caring for your loved one is a betrayal that cuts deep.
Unfortunately, abuse does happen in these facilities despite laws designed to protect the people who call nursing homes and residential care facilities home. That’s why legal action, from a qualified and experienced Phoenix nursing home abuse attorney is often the most expedient avenue to make changes happen for the sake of your loved one and for so many others who live in these facilities.
Elder care or nursing home abuse is a catch-all title that covers many different acts of neglect, abuse, and cruelty. These are a few of the common types of abuse that impact the elderly and warrant the attention of a nursing home abuse lawyer.
Understanding the signs of nursing home abuse helps you determine when you need to seek the services of a Phoenix nursing home abuse lawyer. These are a few signs that indicate it may be time to consider taking action.
Regardless of its form, though, nursing home abuse is a heart-wrenching and unthinkable behavior.
While financial retribution won’t dismiss the nursing home abuse, if you or someone you care about have been victimized in a nursing home, you may not only have a valid claim that will compensate you, but help you take steps to prevent it from occurring to others.
This is one time when you need experience on your side. We have the expertise and knowledge to handle your Phoenix nursing home abuse case with the care and discretion it deserves. Contact us today at 602-553-2220 or fill out a request for a free consultation and see how we can help you get justice for your loved one.
Read our Medical Malpractice blog for additional information.