Florida Injury Lawyer BlogSeniors have a lifetime of experience, but it does not make them invulnerable to abuse. In fact, the elderly are often the targets of fraudsters and those who would harm them.
Seniors can be victims of:
Articles Posted in Nursing Home and Elder Abuse
How to Protect Seniors from Falls
There are 4.5 million seniors in Florida, and for these residents falls can be a serious danger. While some healthy adults may be able to brush off a slip and fall or trip and fall with no serious injury, falls are one of the leading risks of death and serious injury for seniors.
Underlying health conditions can make the elderly susceptible to falls. They can also make seniors more at risk. Conditions such as osteoporosis, for example, can make bones more brittle, leading to more serious fractures.
Amputations and Elderly Patients
Amputations are devastating for elderly patients of nursing homes. Amputations often result in significant emotional distress, anxiety, trauma and depression. In addition, amputations can lead to significantly reduced mobility and loss of quality of life.
In many cases, amputations on elderly residents are preventable with proper diabetic care, proper safety precautions and proper care. Very often, amputations are a last resort for doctors who are trying to save a patient’s life. For elderly residents of nursing homes, amputations can occur due to neglected bedsores, untreated or unmanaged diabetes, and other instances of negligence.
Head Injuries in Nursing Home Falls
Nursing home head injuries can happen for a number of reasons. They can occur due to physical injuries caused by abuse or by bedrail injuries or slip and fall accidents. Unfortunately, when an elderly patient hits their head while falling, it can lead to serious and permanent injuries. In some cases, head injuries can be life-threatening, especially if the patient is not taken for a full evaluation immediately.
If it family member in a nursing home has suffered a head injury due to a fall, you deserve answers. If negligence led to the injury, you may have a right to seek compensation to help pay for your family member’s care, support and a move to a new facility.
Seizures in Hollywood Nursing Homes
Seizures occur when electrical impulses in the brain function incorrectly or when the wrong impulses fire in the brain. Seizures are terrifying to witness. A patient who experiences seizures loses control of their body and may shake uncontrollably, fall to the floor, and more.
For residents of Hollywood and South Florida nursing homes, seizures can be especially dangerous. A nursing home resident can suffer a severe head injury while falling during a seizure or may hit against objects in a room during the seizure, which can lead to lacerations, fractures, head injuries and more. If seniors already have pre-existing conditions, a seizure can be life-threatening and can lead to serious complications.
Concussions are a Serious Risk for Hollywood and South Florida Nursing Home Residents
Concussions occur when the brain moves forward and backward rapidly inside the skull, which can cause damage to cells and chemical changes. While serious traumatic brain injuries may have significant symptoms, concussions do not always have noticeable symptoms and may be more subtle. This type of condition also doesn’t present external symptoms such as wounds or bleeding.
Nevertheless, concussions can be extremely dangerous for seniors in nursing homes. Concussions can increase the risk of later head injuries and can mean a secondary head injury can prove fatal or extremely serious. Concussions can also increase the risk of dementia and can lead to severe symptoms over time.
Preventing Senior Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse can involve name-calling, verbal harassment, insults and other forms of verbal intimidation or harm. Although it leaves no physical bruises or injuries, emotional abuse is very serious. It can lead to depression, upset, changes in personality, or even sleeping disorders. In addition, senior emotional abuse can be extremely painful and can eventually escalate to physical abuse.
Stopping senior emotional abuse in Hollywood and other South Florida cities is important, but unfortunately all too often this type of harm goes unnoticed and unchecked. Not only is emotional abuse difficult to notice, but in many cases authorities do not always take this form of harm seriously enough.
Preventing Senior Sexual Abuse
When we speak about sexual abuse in Hollywood and Florida, we often focus on protecting vulnerable younger people. However, there is also another vulnerable population who may be targeted by predators: the elderly.
Senior sexual abuse is a devastating problem and it is far more prevalent than many people realize. Elder citizens of nursing homes and care facilities may have cognitive and mobility issues which can make them vulnerable to predators. As well, retirement homes and nursing homes do not always have security or proper screening measures to prevent abusers from getting access to vulnerable residents. In some cases, residents of nursing homes have criminal histories and prey on their peers.
Preventing Senior Financial Abuse
Senior financial abuse in Hollywood and across South Florida is a serious concern. Financial abuse can include seniors being forced to sign over their assets or can involve simple theft. Any time that the elderly are targeted for the financial gain of their caregiver or someone else, they are the victims of financial abuse.
In many instances, financial abuse occurs because caregivers or others around the senior see an elderly person as a vulnerable adult they can target in order to earn a profit. In many cases, financial abuse leaves significant long-term effects. A senior who has been affected by this type of crime may feel helpless, ashamed, and frightened. They may be left with few financial resources to pay for everyday expenses and for long-term care. Unfortunately, catching signs of financial abuse are difficult and prosecuting someone after the money has been spent can be challenging.
Suing for Nursing Home Negligence in Homestead
Nursing home abuse and negligence cases in Homestead and southern Florida are usually filed when an elderly loved one in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or any care facility has suffered negligence or abuse. This can include severe negligence which leads to illness, medical complications, or fatalities. It can also include physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, verbal or emotional abuse, or assault.
However, not everyone can file a home abuse and negligence case in southern Florida. In general, you will need to prove damages and you will need to prove your relationship to the elderly person affected. In general, those closest to the elderly loved one are the ones to file a claim. This can include: