Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Elderly family members may need more care and attention, since they may be vulnerable to injury, elder abuse, and other issues. If you have an elderly loved one living in your Homestead or Florida home, there are several things you will want to do to make sure that everyone in your family is protected in the event of an emergency:
1) Create a disaster preparedness plan for your elderly relatives.
If you have loved ones in an assisted living facility or nursing home, do you have a plan in place to keep them safe from elder abuse or nursing home abuse and neglect? If a tornado or other natural disaster were to hit your Homestead home, how would you contact elderly loved ones and keep them safe? Would your family members be able to escape in the event of a fire? Develop a plan to keep everyone in your family safe. If elderly loved ones live with you, this may mean making your home more accessible or contacting your fire department to ensure that your home would permit elderly family members to get out in the event of a fire or other disaster.
2) Create a plan to make your elderly loved ones less vulnerable to neglect and abuse.
Nursing home abuse and neglect is a major concern for many Homestead families with elderly family members. If your loved ones live in a nursing home, you will want to have a system in place to protect them. Your system may involve researching the facility to ensure that it has a good reputation. It may also mean dropping by to check up on living conditions at the facility. Work with family and friends to ensure that someone is checking up on quality of life inside the home as well as on a love one’s care.
3) Develop a good communication system with family and medical care professionals.
As loved ones age, they may be affected by dementia or other illnesses that require more management. In these situations, it is likely that you will need to consult with medical professionals on your loved one’s behalf. Working with family and with doctors can help you choose the best course of treatment together and can also ensure that caregivers get the support they need to live a good quality of life while providing a high standard of care for an elderly family member.
4) Keep your relationship good.
One of the best ways to protect your elderly loved ones is to maintain a good relationship. In the event of a natural disaster or in the event of abuse, your family members should be able to call you as well as other people in their support network. If a relationship is deteriorating, consider counseling or finding another support system for your family members so that they always have someone to turn to.
Learning that an elderly loved one has been injured through someone’s negligence or some preventable situation can be devastating. If this has happened to your family, contact Flaxman Law Group to get legal advice about what you can do in your situation. Your initial consultation is free and comes with no obligation.