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Staten Island Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
Staten Island Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Information
The choice to move a loved one into a nursing care facility can be difficult. Many care facilities in Staten Island provide adequate care that can improve the quality of life for our loved ones. Sadly there are facilities that foster neglect and abuse. Staten Island nursing home abuse cases are often underreported. If you suspect that a loved one is being abused or neglected in a Staten Island nursing home, do not hesitate to take action to protect your loved one and hold the facility accountable for the damages.
If You Suspect Abuse
There are many forms of nursing home abuse and some are more difficult to prove then others.
- Physical abuse: This is when the victim is physically injured by nursing home staff. This could occur, for example, when nursing home staff members are not handling the resident properly. There have also been several unfortunate instances where nursing home residents are deliberately beaten or abused. Some of the red flags family members should look for are scratches, burn marks or bruises. If you see any signs of physical abuse, it should be reported immediately to facility administrators. If no action is taken, contact an experienced Staten Island nursing home abuse lawyer right away.
- Sexual abuse: When nursing homes do not conduct proper background checks, sex offenders can find their way as employees into such facilities. In some cases, the offender can also be a resident at the nursing home. Often, nursing homes do not look into the background of other residents. But nursing homes are responsible for the safety and security of all residents. If your loved one has been the victim of sexual abuse in a nursing facility, the nursing home operator can be held liable.
- Emotional abuse: This is unfortunately far too common in nursing homes. Berating, talking down, verbally abusing or threatening the elderly and vulnerable is simply not acceptable.
- Financial abuse: Forging checks, changing wills or drawing senior citizens into scams are all examples of financial abuse that are common in nursing homes.
- Neglect: When residents are not changed, fed or hydrated, it can have devastating consequences. There have also been many cases where a nursing home fails to follow the patient's medical plan. If the patient cannot have solid food because they could choke on it, disregarding such an instruction could prove fatal.
Understaffing in Nursing Homes
A number of nursing homes, especially for-profit facilities, do not have sufficient staffing to provide quality care to their residents. In a quest for more profit, nursing homes tend to underpay and overwork their nursing staff and nursing aides leading to higher turnover. This fosters an environment for frustration, abuse and neglect. Nursing homes receive significant federal and state funding to keep their facilities well-staffed. But nursing homes that deliberately keep staffing low and provide substandard care to their residents must be held accountable for their wrongdoing.
If you worry that your loved one is being abused or neglected, please contact the Staten Island nursing home abuse lawyers at Wingate, Russotti and Shapiro. We will remain on your side, fight for your rights and make sure you receive the justice and compensation you rightfully deserve.
