Watching for Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect

When you place a loved one in a nursing home, you expect them to receive professional care. What you don’t expect is to hear they’ve been abused or neglected.

Unfortunately, this does happen and it’s important you protect your loved one by holding the negligent party liable for damages. The compassionate and experienced team at Sweeney Legal, LLC can guide you through the process of bringing a claim and obtaining justice for your loved one.

What is nursing home abuse?

Nursing home abuse happens when a resident of a nursing home is objectively mistreated by the staff. This can happen through direct abuse or through neglect. Examples include:

• Not bathing
• Sitting in filth
• Striking or holding the victim down
• Withholding medication or giving the wrong dosage
• Failing to check on the wellness of residents

Many times, you’ll hear of this abuse or neglect from your loved one. It’s important that, even if you think they may be confused, you contact an experienced Ridgefield, Connecticut nursing home lawyer to investigate. There is nothing worse than finding out your loved one was being abused and doing nothing about it.

What signs should I look for?

There are many types of signs to look for if you think your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home. It is important to treat such signs with care, as your loved one may not be able to tell you about his or her suffering outright. These signs include:

• Bedsores
• Bruises
• Discoloration on their skin
• Reduced energy
• Reduced eye contact
• Weight loss

If your loved one shows signs of any of the above or any other type of abuse you think may be caused from the nursing home where they live, your loved one may need you to contact an experienced Ridgefield, CT nursing home lawyer in order to explore your legal options.

Should we take a settlement offer?

Many times, when a nursing home is aware of a pending lawsuit, their insurance company will reach out to you with a settlement offer. They know your loved one is suffering, they know your loved one may be looking for a new place to live, and they will prey on your need for quick cash.

Don’t take it without first consulting a Ridgefield, CT nursing home lawyer. The first offer likely won’t include enough compensation to cover the existing bills, let alone any future costs. By taking a low ball offer, you’re waiving your rights to bring a claim against the insurance company or nursing home for future bills. This means your loved one will be out of pocket for any future expenses related to their nursing home abuse. 

Contact an Experienced Ridgefield, CT Nursing Home Lawyer Today

Our firm understands the tactics nursing homes and insurance companies use and we know how to fight them. You need to focus on making sure your loved one has the care they need, so let us focus on the legal complexities of obtaining the compensation they deserve.

Contact us today to find out more about how we can guide you through the complexities and stress associated with your loved one’s nursing home abuse. We’ve been down this road before and we know how to help. We look forward to working with you.

Nursing Home Lawyer Ridgefield, CT Trusts Discusses Overmedicating Patients

Families hope that when they place their loved one in a nursing home, he or she will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, as well as receive the care they need. Many nursing homes do provide a wonderful environment for their patients to live out their remaining years. Tragically, however, there are far too many facilities who do not take care of their patients.

At Sweeney Legal, LLC, we have made it our mission to fight for victims and their families, protecting their rights and getting the justice they deserve. Our nursing home lawyers have been advocating for victims for more than 20  years and obtaining the financial compensation they deserve for the injuries they suffered.

One of the more dangerous situations our firm is seeing more and more of these days is the use of unnecessary and dangerous antipsychotic drugs used on nursing home patients as a way to keep them quiet. Studies reveal that there could be as many as one in five patients being given these drugs, even though there is no physical reason to do so.

Antipsychotic drugs are meant for individuals who suffer from severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. These drugs are so powerful that they carry a black-box warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the most serious warning that agency issues. The warning states that these medications are not to be given to older patients or those who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s. Side effects can include agitation, anxiety, confusion, and disorientation. These drugs have also been known to cause fatal reactions.

Despite these warnings and known dangers to the elderly, many nursing homes continue to give them to their elderly patients, often citing behavioral issues with the patient as a way to justify the use of the drug. Compounding the issue is that the drug manufacturers often market these drugs directly to nursing homes as a way to “quiet” patients.

State law requires doctors to provide information regarding any drugs they are giving a patient so that patient can give informed consent. If the patient is no longer able to give that consent, it must come from a family member who has been chosen to make those decisions. Families should make sure they know every medication their loved one is receiving and the reasons why it is being prescribed. If you have discovered that the facility your loved one is in has been giving them any of these dangerous drugs, demand they stop immediately and contact our office right away.

Contact a Nursing Home Lawyer in Ridgefield CT

Abuse of the elderly is against the law and needs to be treated as such. If your loved one has been a victim of neglect or abuse – or you suspect they are – contact Sweeney Legal, LLC to find out how we can help. Our nursing home lawyer Ridgefield CT clients recommend will assist your family in reporting the abuse to the proper federal and state agencies, as well as pursue compensation for the damages your loved one has suffered. Call our office today for a free and confidential consultation.

Beds Sores in Connecticut Nursing Home Patients

Nursing home neglect is so common that a family may need to turn to a nursing home lawyer for Ridgefield, CT to help them get justice for their loved one. Neglect can be catastrophic for a resident, especially if it results in a serious condition such as a bed sore.

The Dangers of Bed Sores

A bed sore is an open wound that is often caused by a lack of blood flow in a particular area. This condition commonly occurs when a nursing home resident stays in the same position on a bed for an extended period of time. Because they are not moving, blood cannot properly circulate in the area that is in constant contact with the bed. Bed sores are painful and extremely vulnerable to infection. They must be treated immediately in order to prevent it from worsening or becoming life-threatening. Even more importantly, they are avoidable in the first place when sufficient care is provided to the resident by the nursing home staff. They must make sure that the resident is turned frequently when laying down and they must monitor the body for early warning signs of a bed sore. If your loved one developed this condition, contact our nursing home lawyer Sweeney Legal from in Ridgefield, CT without delay.

Building a Case Against the Nursing Home

There are many aspects to pursuing a financial claim against a nursing home because of their neglect or abuse toward a resident. In cases against a nursing home facility, our bed sore lawyer will review staff notes about the care they provided to their client prior to them developing this serious medical condition. Testimony from staff may also be included, as well as from the victim, though this is on a case-by-case basis. In addition, a Ridgefield, CT nursing home lawyer may consider any of the following information or evidence when building a personal injury claim or a lawsuit:

• The nature of the bed sore injury, and its seriousness as well as the diagnosis for recovery.
• If the resident passed away due to complications from the bed sore (such as an unrecoverable infection) then our nursing home lawyer for Ridgefield, CT families will draw a direct correlation between the bed sore and their death.
• How the bed sore injury likely developed.
• In what way or ways the nursing home neglected their client, including allowing the bed sore to develop.
• The financial ramifications of the condition. For instance, our nursing home lawyer will consider the costs of treating the bed sore and restore the victim to their level of health before developing the bed sore.

These additional damages will also be taken into account by an experienced nursing home lawyer for Ridgefield, CT as applicable:

• The emotional distress of the resident due to the bed sore.
• Reimbursement for care that the nursing home did not provide.
• The costs associated with moving the resident to a different nursing home.
• Healthcare devices to provide relief and special care for the victim, such as specialized pillows and other medical equipment.
• Medications.
• Temporary or long term home healthcare aide if there is no immediate availability for the victim in a replacement nursing home.

If you or your loved one was neglected in the care of a nursing home and suffered as a result, please contact Sweeney Legal today to learn how a nursing home lawyer can help you and your family in Ridgefield, CT.