Nashua Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

We Stand Up for Local Elders & Seniors

When a nursing home fails to protect and care for the elderly residents that live there, you should explore possible legal options to set things right. Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. has a team of Nashua nursing home abuse lawyers who are ready to help. We are proud to take tough cases for locals who need legal guidance more than ever before. If a nursing home hurt your loved one due to negligence or intentional wrongdoing, then there is no better time than now to talk to our lawyers.

Call a Nashua nursing home abuse lawyer today at (603) 605-8144.

Nursing Home Neglect

Nursing home neglect is different from nursing home abuse, but it can be just as dangerous. An act of neglect is typically seen as unintentional and often occurs without the neglectful party even realizing that they did something wrong. Neglect is also the lack of the right action being taken, such as not providing necessary care.

Common types of nursing home neglect are:

Inadequate medical care: Medical neglect can happen when a resident's medical needs are not adequately addressed. This neglect can result in chronic conditions worsening, new illnesses going untreated, or medication errors. For example, a person with diabetes might not get their insulin shots on time, leading to serious health complications.
Poor hygiene: Hygiene neglect involves failing to maintain a clean and sanitary living environment or not assisting residents with personal hygiene tasks. For instance, residents might be left in soiled clothes or bed linens, which can lead to skin infections and other health issues.
Unacceptable nutrition: Nutritional neglect happens when residents do not receive sufficient food and water, leading to malnutrition and dehydration.
Social isolation: Social neglect refers to the failure to provide residents with opportunities for social interaction, resulting in loneliness and isolation. If a resident who used to enjoy group activities suddenly loses interest, social neglect could be a factor.
Emotional neglect: Emotional neglect involves ignoring the emotional needs of residents, causing mental anguish. This could manifest as depression, anxiety, or changes in mood or demeanor.

Nursing Home Abuse

Unlike nursing home neglect, which involves the failure to provide adequate care, nursing home abuse involves intentional harm or mistreatment of nursing home residents. Nursing home abuse is usually carried out by staff members who wish harm upon the residents for one reason or another. However, some cases involve abuse inflicted by other residents, which raises the question of why the nursing home staff were not able to prevent the attacks.

Different types of nursing home abuse include:

Physical abuse: Physical abuse includes any act of violence causing pain, injury, or impairment. It could involve hitting, pushing, slapping, or improper use of restraints.
Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse involves any non-consensual sexual contact or exploitation. This could range from inappropriate touching to sexual assault. Offenders often target elders with dementia or communication difficulties because they are less likely to tell anyone about what happened.
Emotional or psychological abuse: This type of abuse involves causing emotional pain or distress. It could involve yelling, humiliation, threats, isolation, or ignoring the resident.
Financial exploitation: Financial exploitation involves the unauthorized use of a resident's money or property. This could involve stealing cash, forging signatures, or coercing the resident into making financial decisions.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

Elders who are abused or neglected in nursing homes may struggle to speak up and get help for various reasons. Some might not know who can help them. Others may be afraid to say anything and face retaliation. Others still can have cognitive issues that make it difficult to even realize that something wrong has happened to them. As a result, it is important for loved ones who visit or speak with elders in nursing homes to pay attention to the signs of abuse or neglect.

Your elderly loved one might be facing nursing home abuse or neglect if they have:

Unexplained bruises, cuts, or bedsores
Lost weight suddenly
Fear around a specific person
Newly onset depression or anxiety
Missing property or prescriptions
No interest in social activities

How Nursing Home Abuse Happens

Nursing home abuse and neglect should never happen when a nursing home or assisted living center follows all safety protocols and regulations. When it does happen, it is important for an investigation to begin quickly, so the cause can be uncovered and addressed.

Nursing home abuse and neglect can be caused by the following issues and more:

Understaffing: A nursing home should have ample on-hand staff at all hours to make sure that all residents can get the care they need and when they need it. When one nurse or staff member must oversee the care of dozens of residents – or more – then the risk of unintentional yet dangerous neglect will increase significantly.
Inadequate training: All staff members who work with elderly people at a nursing home must be adequately trained to ensure the safety of the residents. Simple mistakes due to a lack of training can lead to life-threatening injuries or illnesses that could have been avoided otherwise.
Lack of security: When no security guards are employed at a nursing home, it can make residents more vulnerable to intentional abuse like physical violence or sexual assaults.

Damages in a Nursing Home Abuse Case

Money cannot undo the pain and consequences of nursing home abuse or neglect. However, fair financial compensation can help your family find a sense of justice and closure. Let our Nashua nursing home abuse lawyers hear from you and calculate the right amount of compensation that should be provided in a settlement. If the nursing home or its parent company won’t accept liability and refuses to settle, then we can talk about taking your case to court for litigation, too.

Damages that may be considered in a nursing home abuse case could include:

Medical costs
Loss of income if applicable
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Emotional traumatization
Loss of parental relationship (wrongful death)

Start with a No-Cost Case Review

Don’t wait to seek legal help if your elderly loved one was abused or neglected in a nursing home. Get our Nashua nursing home abuse attorneys on your side today. We are here to guide you down the entire legal process that lies ahead, so you can pursue justice and compensation with as little stress as possible. You take care of your family and we’ll take care of the rest.

For a free consultation, please call our firm at (603) 605-8144 now.

Our Clients Come First. Always.

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