Nursing Home Abuse
If you have placed your loved one in a nursing home, you expect that he or she will be treated with the utmost care. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. Many nursing home residents are subjected to abuse by the very people that are supposed to be caring for them.
Abuse can occur as a result of inadequate training, understaffing a facility, improper employee screening, or malice. No one should be subject to this kind of abuse—but luckily, victims have the opportunity to pursue legal action against those who have harmed them.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
The term “abuse” may make you think of physical violence, but that’s not the only type of nursing home abuse. Physical abuse occurs when force is used against a nursing home resident. This can include hitting, shoving, pushing, kicking, or restraining someone against his or her will.
Nursing home residents may also be subjected to sexual abuse, which occurs when someone engages in a sexual act with a resident without his or her consent. Exposing a nursing home resident to pornographic material or forcing him or her to undress against his or her will are also forms of sexual abuse.
Emotional abuse is also common in nursing homes. This occurs when a nursing home resident is treated in a way that causes him or her emotional pain. For example, patients may be ridiculed, yelled at, or threatened by a staff member at the nursing home facility. There are several nonverbal behaviors that can also be considered emotional abuse, including isolating the nursing home resident, ignoring his or her needs, or intentionally scaring him or her. Victims who have been isolated or ignored may suffer from bed sores or other health complications as a result of this abuse.
Finally, nursing home residents may also become victims of financial abuse. Examples of this type of abuse include illegally cashing a resident’s check, stealing a resident’s valuables, coercing a resident to sign financial documents, or forging a resident’s signature for financial gain.
Reporting Nursing Home Abuse in Colorado
It’s hard to imagine that anyone would be able to abuse vulnerable nursing home residents, but unfortunately it happens more often than you would think. There are several different parties that should be immediately notified if you believe a loved one is being abused in a nursing home. It’s recommended that you alert the nursing home facility, local authorities, Colorado Nursing Home Administrators Board, and local Adult Protective Services. These agencies should immediately begin to investigate your allegations to determine if abuse has occurred. If evidence of abuse is found, the responsible parties may face criminal charges.
Contact Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
Filing a report with these authorities will help you seek justice against the individuals who have harmed your loved one. But, it won’t help you and your loved one recover compensation for the abuse. To do this, you will need to contact a nursing home abuse attorney at Reisch Law Firm. If you or a loved one has been abused in a nursing home, contact one of our attorneys today at 303-291-0555 to schedule a free consultation regarding your case.
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