New Port Richey Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Nursing home abuse is a silent epidemic across Florida. The Sunshine State is ground zero for allegations of nursing home abuse, thanks to the hundreds of long-term care facilities. If you have a family member in a nursing home, you naturally expect that they will receive competent around-the-clock care. Unfortunately, the reality is far different in many nursing homes. Vulnerable residents are abused by staff or by other residents. Contact Wendy Doyle-Palumbo today to discuss your concerns with a New Port Richey nursing home abuse attorney. We can leap in and protect a vulnerable adult in a threatening situation.
Abuse Can Take Many Forms
Residents are vulnerable to all sorts of violence and abuse, including:
- Sexual abuse. Staff members might molest or grope residents. Some common signs include sexually transmitted infections, bruising in the groin or genitals, and fear of a particular staff member.
- Physical abuse. Common examples include punching, pinching, slapping, suffocating, or grabbing a resident. However, physical abuse can also consist of deliberately withholding food, water, or medicine. Common red flags are bruises and cuts, as well as unexplained fractures.
- Emotional abuse. Staff members can torment residents by teasing, bullying, or insulting them. Other forms of emotional abuse include isolating the resident from everyone else, including family. A beloved family member could respond by babbling or adopting child-like behaviors.
- Chemical abuse. A nursing home might prescribe certain drugs solely to chemically restrain the resident. Your loved one might be “out of it” when you stop by to visit.
- Financial abuse. Many residents are financially exploited in nursing homes. Staff members steal their credit cards or identities and open lines of credit. A common sign is having creditors send past-due notices.
Families should trust their instincts. If you think something is wrong, then call an attorney. We can investigate and even reach out to the nursing home for them to investigate. Many nursing homes are desperate for staff and do not perform necessary background checks, or they overlook obvious red flags. They put residents at risk.
Neglect is different from abuse. However, neglect is equally as damaging to residents. A neglected resident can lose weight or become ill because they are not receiving their medical care. Other residents wander away from a home because there is insufficient staff to watch everyone, or else they are attacked by other residents.
We Can Help Protect a Vulnerable Loved One
Nursing homes owe a duty of care to their residents, and you could seek financial compensation for any breach of this duty. Call Wendy Doyle-Palumbo. Nursing homes should pay compensation to cover additional medical care to treat malnourishment or broken bones, and they should pay for pain, suffering, and mental anguish.
We can begin gathering and reviewing evidence. We might even visit a loved one in the nursing home to find out more evidence. Call our firm if you’d like to speak with a compassionate, dedicated New Port Richey nursing home abuse lawyer. We are committed to stamping out abuse in these facilities.