For Massachusetts residents who make the difficult decision to put an elderly loved one in a nursing home, the end goal is that the person will be cared for and treated well. This is for the benefit of the elderly person and the family that might not have the capacity to care for someone who needs professional assistance and medical care. It is an unfortunate reality that some nursing homes do not provide the proper type of care to these older people. When there is a belief that a person was abused, became ill or died due to nursing home abuse, a lawsuit can help to receive compensation for that mistreatment.
There are times when it is obvious that a loved one is being mistreated in a nursing home. At other times, it is not as clear. Some signs include bruising, burns or other unexplained injuries; the loved one seeming to be acting differently than normal with fear and confusion; a lack of communication; the loved one showing signs of dehydration or malnutrition; a decline in the elderly person’s health with no explainable reason for it to be happening; or other signs of distress.
While most medical professionals and other workers at nursing homes likely do their jobs and care about those who reside in the facility, others commit acts of nursing home abuse that can leave the person injured, ill or even lead to their death. This abuse can be physical, emotional and sexual. Some people have money or property stolen from them. They do not get their medication, therapy and care they are supposed to and decline because of it.
Nursing homes are paid a lot of money to care for residents and when they fail to live up to their end of the agreement or go so far beyond what is appropriate into abuse, they should be held accountable. For those whose loved ones are claiming they are being mistreated or suspect there is abuse going on, having legal assistance is essential to put a stop to it and recover compensation. Discussing a case with a legal professional who is experienced in helping clients uphold the rights of nursing home residents is the first step toward filing a personal injury case to receive compensation for what was done to the elderly loved one.