An article recently published by an NBC affiliate in New York helps document a disturbing trend of nursing home abuse and neglect that appears to be caused by understaffed nursing homes, as well as a lack of adequate training and competence among existing staff. According to the news report, an elderly nursing home resident and her family have filed a nursing home abuse lawsuit against a New Jersey nursing home after the resident was allegedly left covered in her own feces for hours as the nursing home staff failed to answer her calls for assistance. Although the proceedings are only in the early stages, the defendant has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing and attempting to discredit the plaintiffs’ claims.
Nursing Care Is Facing an Epidemic of Neglect and Incompetence
Many factors result in the recent increase in nursing home abuse and neglect complaints, which are often focused on the duties of lower-level staff, such as nursing aides and assistants. Many nursing home residents are not physically active and have few visitors or family members to check up on them. When neglect or abuse does occur, some patients are afraid or embarrassed to tell anyone about it, or they may not know what their rights are or how to make a claim. The majority of funding for nursing home care comes from the federal government through Medicare, and providers have been known to take advantage of the lack of accountability for government funds by employing too few workers and hiring low-cost, incompetent employees to provide care.
How to Make a Nursing Home Abuse Claim
Victims of nursing home abuse or neglect and their families have the right to have their claims addressed, and nobody should be required to live in an unsafe or unclean environment. The fear of retribution for reporting a claim should not be a factor that discourages a victim from reporting concerns of abuse or neglect, but residents and families who have reported abuse have faced retaliation in the past. Nursing home abuse and neglect victims and their families deserve the ability to confidently address their concerns and seek the damages and adequate care that their loved ones are entitled to receive. Bringing a nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit with the help of a skilled Maryland nursing home abuse attorney can help alleviate the uneasiness that comes with publicly making a potentially embarrassing claim that may not result in any actual relief.
Should You Contact a Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Attorney?
If you or a loved one is or has been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you deserve to obtain adequate care and may be entitled to monetary damages for your claim. The Maryland nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers can help you make the case for the compensation you and your loved ones deserve. Our qualified Maryland nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys will stick up for you and your loved ones, and we can help hold responsible parties accountable for their negligence. At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent clients in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the entire D.C. area in all nursing home abuse and neglect cases. Call us toll-free at 1-800-654-1949 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation today.
More Blog Posts:
Nursing Home Resident Dies After Developing Gangrene from Untreated Bedsores, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published October 7, 2016.
New Rule Restricting Arbitration Clauses May Result in Better Care for the Elderly, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published November 7, 2016.