When you enter or decide to move your loved one to a nursing home, you trust the facility and its staff to provide professional and respectful care. Sadly, nursing care facilities all too often breach that trust by engaging in, or turning a blind eye to, abusive conduct that traumatizes residents and leads to dire health complications.
If you or someone close to you has suffered harm in a nursing home, state law may entitle you to pursue compensation to cover the cost of injuries and hold the facility accountable through a personal injury claim. Contact an experienced Hoffman Estates nursing home abuse lawyer at The Kryder Law Group to learn more.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
Actions that result in or contribute to physical injuries, emotional distress, financial loss, or sexual violence or exploitation all constitute abuse under state law. Nursing home abuse consists of any intentional or negligent acts by a facility caregiver, staff member, or contractor that harms a resident. A facility ignoring an altercation between residents that leads to physical, financial, or emotional harm may also constitute abuse.
Identifying instances of nursing home abuse is not always straightforward. Many residents of nursing facilities have existing medical and mental health challenges. It can be difficult to distinguish injuries or emotional struggles naturally resulting from their conditions from those caused by someone else’s wrongdoing. Nursing home residents and their families should seek assistance from an experienced Hoffman Estates attorney to investigate, pinpoint, and take legal action addressing abusive misconduct.
Legal Rights of Nursing Home Residents
Nursing home residents have significant legal protections under state and federal law. Those rights include:
- A right to dignity and respect encompassing a resident’s right to make their own choices, be treated appropriately, and have equal access to care
- A right to safety in the setting, supervision, services, and community offered by the nursing home
- A right to participate in one’s care by making healthcare choices and controlling who else may do so
- A right to privacy and confidentiality in living quarters, interactions with staff, other residents, and guests, and in one’s personal information
- A right to exercise or designate dominion and control over money, finances, and personal property
- A right to stay in your chosen facility and to enjoy the civil rights and freedoms guaranteed by law to all citizens
Acts of nursing home abuse invariably violate one or more of these rights. When these circumstances occur, survivors of abuse (and potentially their families) can take legal action seeking compensation for resulting losses.
Perpetrators of nursing facility abuse and those who facilitate or fail to prevent it may owe financial damages for losses such as the cost of medical care, moving a resident to a different facility, physical pain, emotional anguish, and diminished quality of life. A Hoffman Estates attorney could help a nursing home resident and their family member pursue the maximum available compensation from a facility responsible for causing or allowing abuse.
Call a Hoffman Estates Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today
Nursing home abuse is an egregious violation of the trust placed in caregivers. Mistreated nursing facility residents deserve meaningful compensation for the harm they have suffered. As seasoned legal professionals, we know the appropriate steps to take to investigate a resident or family member’s suspicions, ensure a resident’s safety and well-being, and hold wrongdoers legally and financially accountable. When necessary, we can also bring complaints to state healthcare agencies or law enforcement.
Do not hesitate to bring your concerns about potential abuse at a nursing home to light. Our attorneys could quickly assess the situation and, if necessary, take immediate steps to protect you or your loved one from further harm. To learn more, contact a Hoffman Estates nursing home abuse lawyer at The Kryder Law Group for a free consultation.
(312) 223-1700