Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Maryland
When you choose a nursing home facility for an elderly loved one, you should be able to trust that it’s a safe, comfortable place for them to live. They deserve any medical and personal care they need as they settle in, giving your family peace of mind that they’re just where they need to be. This is why it can be so shocking and disappointing to learn that your loved one is being abused in their Maryland nursing home.
Holding Nursing Facilities Accountable for Abuse of Elderly Residents
If you suspect or know for sure that your family member has been abused by nursing home staff members, we urge you to contact our law firm for legal assistance. Our lawyers have experience seeking justice for families whose elderly loved ones have experienced physical or sexual abuse or neglect at nursing facilities, so you can rely on us to handle your case with care.
What Are Some Common Types of Abuse in Nursing Homes?
Nursing home abuse can come in many forms, and they can all put your family member at risk in different ways. Some of the most common forms of nursing home abuse are:
- Physical abuse, such as pushing, punching, kicking, or restraining
- Emotional abuse, such as yelling at, insulting, making fun of, or threatening nursing home patients
- Sexual abuse, including unwanted sexual advances, groping, or rape
- Financial abuse, where a staff member steals or withholds money from a patient
- Neglect, in which staff members fail to provide patients with the necessary medical care, food, or attention to their hygiene
No one deserves to be abused in any way, especially elderly people who are dependent upon the staff to help them and end up injured instead. Nursing home abuse can lead to long-term consequences for patients that could threaten their health or even their lives.
Some of the most common effects of nursing home abuse and neglect range from bed sores and broken bones to anxiety and depression. Over time, serious injuries and low health care quality can result in the wrongful death of elderly patients who endured abuse and neglect in their Maryland nursing home, so you should hire a nursing home abuse attorney to seek justice on their behalf.
If you have reason to believe your loved one has experienced nursing home abuse or neglect, call our Maryland office to discuss the situation with caring nursing home abuse attorneys. We have successfully handled civil lawsuits for families seeking justice, so you can trust us to hold the nursing home accountable for the elder abuse or neglect inflicted on your elderly family member.
What Are the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?
One of the worst things about nursing home abuse and neglect is that it could go on for years without your family knowing about it. This is because many nursing home residents are too ashamed or scared to tell their families that they have been the target of physical abuse, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, or other types of abuse or neglect. In some cases, staff members may have threatened them to stay quiet about the nursing home neglect or abuse.
If you suspect nursing home abuse has affected your loved one, you should look for signs that something isn’t right. The following are some of the most common signs of sexual, emotional, financial, or physical abuse and neglect among nursing home residents:
- Bed sores
- Cuts and bruises
- Broken bones
- Weight loss
- Malnutrition
- Panic attacks
- Depression
- Confusion
- Aggression
- Poor hygiene
- Pain in the pelvis or genitals
- Blood stains on underwear or other clothing
- Unpaid bills
- Recent large withdrawals from their bank account
- Personality changes, such as becoming shy, withdrawn, or fearful
- New behaviors, such as rocking or refusing to talk
You might assume your loved one would surely tell you about any abuse or neglect they’re experiencing in their Maryland nursing home, but they may be unable to talk to you with staff members listening. So, in the case of suspected abuse of your family member, it’s essential to find a way to speak to them privately and reassure them that you will take action if they’re dealing with nursing home abuse or neglect.
If you have concerns about physical, sexual, emotional, or financial abuse or neglect in a Maryland nursing home, contact our firm to talk to experienced nursing home abuse lawyers who can help.
What Can You Do About Maryland Nursing Home Abuse?
When you find out a loved one has been subjected to nursing home abuse, it’s important to reach out to a skilled nursing home attorney immediately. You deserve to get help from Maryland nursing home abuse attorneys who will guide you through every step of the case, from collecting evidence to recovering compensation for your loved one.
When you come to us for a free consultation with a nursing home abuse lawyer, we’ll listen carefully to your explanation of the abuse and neglect your family member has been through.
We will review the evidence you might have, including pictures, videos, and statements from your loved one and other residents who witnessed or experienced nursing home neglect or abuse. We can find ways to gather additional evidence, such as looking at medical records and hiring medical professionals to examine your loved one for signs of nursing home abuse and neglect.
Once we have evidence, we can move forward with a nursing home abuse claim that seeks financial compensation for your loved one. We will ensure they can get monetary damages to make up for any losses they had from physical, sexual, emotional, or financial abuse in a Maryland nursing home.
Our goal is to hold the nursing home liable for the long-term damage they caused your loved one and any other residents. This is why most nursing home abuse cases pursue compensation from a few individuals or organizations, not just the staff members who committed the nursing home abuse or neglect.
After all, Maryland nursing homes are expected to do everything possible to keep nursing home residents safe, starting by taking precautions when hiring staff members. So, if one or more staff members are responsible for abusing or neglecting nursing home residents, our Maryland nursing home abuse lawyers will investigate the hiring process used by the care facility.
If there is evidence that the nursing home management team did not conduct background checks or train employees to provide adequate care for nursing home residents, they could be held liable for the abuse and neglect that went on in their nursing home.
When you hire a nursing home abuse attorney from our law firm, you will get legal guidance on what compensation to seek and who to hold liable in your nursing home abuse case. But you’ll also get information about local resources that will help your elderly loved one find a therapist and consider their next steps as they heal from nursing home neglect or abuse. Some of the resources that we recommend for Maryland nursing home sexual abuse victims in particular include:
- Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)
- HopeWorks of Howard County
- TurnAround
- Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center (SARC)
If you have questions about resources or legal services available to victims of medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, or abuse, contact our law office. Our nursing home abuse lawyers are experienced at getting justice for any nursing home resident who has suffered from elder abuse, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, and any other issue that may take place in Maryland nursing homes.
Should You Hire Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys in Maryland?
Every nursing home resident deserves to feel like their well-being is important to nursing home administrators, managers, and staff members. When they experience neglect or elder abuse in a nursing home or assisted living facility, their trust is broken and they typically have long-term physical and emotional effects to deal with afterward. Most nursing home residents who have endured nursing home negligence and abuse will find it hard to trust staff or feel comfortable in a nursing home again.
While you can’t eliminate the effects of nursing home negligence and abuse, you can make sure the people who allowed it are held liable as you recover compensation for your elderly loved one. If you’re interested in getting justice for your family member, you should hire a Maryland nursing home abuse lawyer who will work hard to pursue a fair settlement.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we want to ensure nursing homes are held accountable for medical malpractice, neglect, or abuse toward the nursing home residents they’re supposed to protect. If you want to talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer about your legal options, call our Maryland law firm at 866-311-8640 for a free consultation.