Gainesville Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

The different types of nursing home abuse take many forms, including physical and emotional abuse. These forms often overlap and can include the following warning signs.

Possible signs of physical or emotional abuse include:

• Bruises or cuts that are unexplained
• Clothing that is torn or bloody
• Broken bones unrelated to a fall
• Intimidation through yelling, threats, or a combination
• Humiliation or degradation
• Flat-out ignoring the patient
• Isolating the patient from other residents or activities
• Terrorizing or mocking the patient

If your loved one has been neglected, you may notice the following indicators.

• Some or all medications administered improperly or not at all
• Clothing or bed linens that are soiled
• Dirty or unsanitary living conditions
• Obvious signs of malnourishment or dehydration

If the abuse is sexual in nature, the resident may show or suffer from the following.

• Bleeding around the genitals or anal area
• Symptoms of venereal disease
• Undergarments that are bloody or torn
• Bruising in intimate areas

The most common form of non-physical abuse of the elderly is financial exploitation. Unscrupulous caregivers may take advantage of a senior's mental state.

• Misuse of checks, accounts, or credit cards belonging to the elder
• Steal cash, checks, or other belongings from their rooms
• Forge signatures on checks or other financial documents
• Authorize withdrawals or money transfers without the elder's consent
• Steal the elder's identity

Nothing is more frustrating and devastating than when a nursing home does not properly care for your loved one and it leads to their premature death. Florida Statutes § 400.023 allows the family to file a wrongful death lawsuit when the death was the result of willful or negligent actions. If you believe your loved one’s death in a nursing home was the result of negligence or malice, you may be able to get justice through a wrongful death lawsuit.

Nursing homes are required to provide their residents with a certain standard of care. For example, nursing homes are required to protect their residents from dehydration, malnutrition, slip and falls, bedsores, unsanitary conditions, infections, assault, and abuse.

If you believe your loved one’s nursing home failed to do so, you will need to work with a personal injury attorney to prove that the nursing home owed the residents a duty of care, that they breached that duty, that the breach caused the death of your family member, and that the death created damages like medical bills, funeral costs, or pain and suffering.