When to File Nursing Home Litigation

Nursing home litigation may become necessary for families who have loved ones in a nursing home and discover there are incidents of abuse or neglect. These incidences occur even more frequently when loved ones are unable to visit with enough frequency to note when the incidents are occurring. In spite of regulations that require the nursing home to notify the family physician of all injuries, this is not always done. In most cases, the family doctor is not notified at all and will only discover the abuse if there are visible marks or the patient tells him when he makes a routine visit.

Taking Immediate Action

Although it seems there are numerous incidents of abuse and neglect in nursing homes, it is not as prevalent as you may think. On a national average, the incidents are isolated but some areas have a large number of cases compared to others. The incidents can include any number of different incidents from malnutrition to neglect to blatant abuse. Even when you bring the information to nursing supervisors, it is over overlooked and even ignored. It is a situation that cannot be overlooked and one that must be corrected immediately. No family member should have to feel guilty about using nursing home facilities and worry that a loved one is in danger.

No Facility is Guaranteed to be Safe

To assume that the majority of cases of patient abuse and neglect occur in public facilities is inaccurate. Whether your loved one is in a public facility or an exclusive and high priced nursing facility the potential for abuse is the same. The key to prevention is detection and litigation. Failing to report any cases of abuse and neglect means another patient is suffering at the hands of those placed to care for him or her. Choosing to enter into litigation does not mean you are lawsuit happy but rather than you have concerns for loved ones that are not being addressed by the staff of the nursing facility. In addition to litigation, it’s important to see that your loved one is placed in another nursing home where he or she will be treated with dignity and proper care.

If you reached the stage where you don’t know what to do, let CentralJerseyLegalServices.com help you make the right decision. Making the right choice is the most important part of caring for an elderly and/or invalid relative. Choosing nursing care that is gentle and effective is the most important part of caring for your relative, but it may sometimes require some searching to find the best nursing facilities available.

Make sure there is adequate care for all patients such as proper nutrition, gentle and loving care by staff, and careful handling of those who are bedridden to prevent bed sores. If you do not find the nursing care to be what you expect, you will need to take the steps necessary to rectify the situation up to and including litigation. If you have any doubts, by all means consult an attorney for legal advice before you take matters into your own hands.