We count on nursing home professionals to take care of our aging loved ones. We trust that they will provide proper care and fulfill their caregiver duties. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Nursing home residents can be victim to nursing home neglect. If you think your loved one has been a victim of nursing home neglect, contact a nursing home negligence attorney to represent their rights. Nursing home neglect is a form of abuse that can occur undetected because signs of neglect can often be hidden. Let a qualified attorney help you protect your elder family members from abuse.
What is Nursing Home Neglect?
Nursing home neglect is a failure by a caregiver to fulfill his or her care giving duties to provide needed care. This includes failing to provide food, shelter, health care, or protection for an elder. Active neglect is behavior that is intentional where the caregiver is willfully withholding care or necessities, while passive neglect is a situation where the caregiver is unable to meet his or her responsibilities because of illness, stress, disability, ignorance, lack of maturity, or inadequate resources.
Types of Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect comes in many forms. Deprivation of water or food, soiled clothing, and failure to provide medication in a timely manner are all forms of neglect. A serious neglect issue exists when any area the resident needs to live is lacking. Types of neglect include:
- Emotional or Social Neglect
- Staff members continuously ignore the nursing home resident or leave them alone with no interaction with others. Emotional neglect can cause the resident to withdraw from family and friends or refuse to perform basic self-care. They can become afraid of caregivers and reluctant to talk about issues they are facing which could lead to further health concerns.
- Personal Hygiene Neglect
- Nursing home staff are expected to assist residents with basic personal hygiene. Many residents need help with brushing their teeth, bathing, combing their hair, trimming their nails, and getting dressed. When staff fail to adequately assist residents with these things, residents are left to do these things on their own. Most nursing home residents are not capable of performing these tasks on their own. Attempting to perform these tasks on their own may lead to improper hygiene or injury.
- Basic Needs Neglect
- Failing to provide basic needs such as food, water, safe and clean living environment is considered neglect. Caregivers are expected to provide sanitary living conditions. Nursing home residents should have access to clean clothing and bedding, sanitary bathrooms, and clean kitchens. If these needs are not met, residents can face sickness and other health-related issues.
- Medical Neglect
- Nursing home staff should provide prompt and efficient medical care for residents. Failing to provide prompt medical care leads to further health issues. Preserving patient health is a necessity. Medication should be administered properly. Administering medication properly is also necessary.
Act Before It Is Too Late
If you have a loved one who you believe is a victim of nursing home neglect, you should seek action immediately. Victims of nursing home abuse are entitled to damages for pain and suffering, medical negligence, and financial exploitation from responsible individuals and facilities. Do not put the health and safety of your family member at stake, contact van der Veen, Hartshorn, Levin & Lindheim immediately. Our compassionate Philadelphia nursing home negligence attorneys have over 24 years of personal injury experience. We will fight for your vulnerable loved ones and make sure the negligent party is held responsible.