Call Us atAfter watching your beloved parent take care of your family over many years, you likely want to return the favor. You probably want to ensure that you provide them the same loving care they gave you throughout your childhood and early adult years. You might need to move them to a residential facility to give them the best care. The last thing you should worry about is whether they will be safe. Unfortunately, serious problems occur every year in nursing homes.
If you suspect your loved one is suffering or has suffered abuse or neglect at a residential care facility, you should seek help. A Bothell nursing home abuse lawyer could assist you and your family. Filing a claim with a seasoned personal injury attorney could help keep others from enduring neglect and abuse.
Different Forms of Bothell Nursing Home Abuse
Many different types of abuse occur in residential care facilities. A family could start a claim after their loved one suffered:
Neglect
Neglect happens when a nursing home fails to meet a resident’s medical and everyday needs. Facilities must provide residents with adequate food, water, hygiene, clothing, and medical assistance. Some examples of negligence include failing to give the correct medicine to a resident or not monitoring an individual for signs of illness or infection. Careless staff members sometimes fail to help move residents with mobility limitations, which could cause painful and dangerous bedsores.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when staff members intentionally use force to hit, kick, slap, pinch, punch, or hurt a resident. Physical abuse could leave residents with emotional and physical scars.
Social or Emotional Abuse
Staff members could abuse residents without touching them. This could occur when staff yells at, criticizes, mocks, disrespects, or embarrasses a resident. This type of mistreatment could also happen when staff members ignore a resident or isolate them from social interactions. Emotional abuse occurs when a staff member causes an individual to feel distressed, fearful, anxious, or in mental anguish.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual harassment, forceful or unwanted sexual contact, or sexual interaction between a resident who is unable to consent is sexual abuse.
Financial Abuse
Staff members could take advantage of residents by taking their assets, property, benefits, or money. Financial abuse could involve caretakers taking cash out of a resident’s purse or manipulating them into signing over assets.
Regardless of the form of abuse, a skilled attorney in Bothell could help advise a family about their legal options for a nursing home mistreatment claim.
Signs of Neglect or Abuse in a Bothell Care Facility
Because residents cannot always report instances of ill-treatment either due to their physical or mental conditions or fear of repercussions, many family members need to be vigilant. They need to look out for:
- Fractures
- Dehydration or malnutrition
- Bruises and cuts
- Bedsores
- Poor hygiene
- Burns
- Rope marks on arms and feet indicating excessive restraints
- Infections
- Other unexplained injuries
If a family spots sudden injuries on a loved one, they should meet with a lawyer in Bothell to determine their next steps and plan a course of action to protect their family and hold the nursing home accountable for their negligence.
File a Claim with a Bothell Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Sadly, many care facilities do not meet the needs of their residents. Often, they are understaffed. Caretakers are overworked and inexperienced. Consequently, the residents’ needs suffer.
If you believe your loved one is suffering or has suffered injuries while at a residential facility, a hardworking Bothell nursing home abuse lawyer could determine what happened. They could help get justice and set things right. Call today to discuss filing a claim.
