Nursing Home Abuse is a Lot More Common Than You Think!

Making the decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home or retirement community is never going to be an easy choice. however, in some cases, it simply might be the best and possibly even your only choice for them. Whether it might be an aunt or uncle, mother or father, or even a grandparent – growing up they might be a hero to us, just always there to save the day in one way or another. However, one of the realest truths about life is that father time is always undefeated, and there’s no chance of you beating him – no matter how hard you might try! And when we come to understand this fact, it becomes a lot easier to accept that that loved one, who might have been our biggest hero, is now someone who may need assistance and can no longer live on their own. Its imply a part of life – and while we might not be in a position to care for them, there are a number of well-equipped nursing homes across the country that will not only give them the medical care they might need, but also provide them with the comradery that we simply won’t be able to as busy family members with our own kids, careers, and homes to run.

And while these nursing facilities are known to offer a fairly good service, while some might certainly be a bit more high-class than others, the fact is that they all will usually offer a service and support system, to where you wouldn’t have any problem leaving your loved ones in their care. However, in some instances, things may not always be what they seem. Over the years, despite still being fairly rare, we have heard more and more cases of elderly abuse at nursing homes. A place that you confidently paid money, to care for, feed, shelter, and provide medication and take care of their hygiene, is now in one way or another, abusing your loved one. According to Mr. Charles Spinner, Esq. the best personal injury lawyer Tampa has to offer, situations such as this, despite being terribly scary and uncommon, are actually on the rise – as more and more families than ever before are suing for some form of nursing home abuse. Therefore, you can only imagine the horror on the family’s faces when they realized that three employees at a North Carolina assisted living facility were arrested recently for organizing a fight club among elderly residents with dementia. Absolutely one of the craziest things I have ever heard – and something that has got to be terrifying to anyone with an elderly loved one in a nursing home.

The three workers were caught about a year ago, after police received an anonymous tip as to their actions. And what these police officers uncovered was absolutely shocking and much worse than what even the tipster believed was happening. Apparently, the employees were encouraging residents to fight, videotaping the assaults, and sharing the videos on social media.One of the residents was punched in the face and choked during one of the fights.And that’s not where it ends, there were also some charges of pure negligence as well – upon further investigation into the facility, it was uncovered that there was a failure to distribute medication, review medical records, and properly train the staff. The facility has been prohibited from admitting new residents since August.

The problems within these nursing homes are often a combination of bored staff members, without any training, resorting to full on elder abuse to pass the time. Especially for these individuals, to mostly be quite young, as young as their late teens and early 20’s, to be treating the oldest, and most defenseless members of our society like this is absolutely despicable. According to Mr. Spinner, the best personal injury lawyer Tampa has practicing, the trio will be charged criminally and they, along with the nursing home that allowed such behavior from their staff members, will likely be sued in civil court as well. The fact is that many individuals were wrongfully damaged at the hands of individuals in some cases, nearly 1/5th their age. And despite clear and present signs as to something being wrong, and not taking the time to train their already young, and inexperienced staff truly shows a tremendous amount of negligence on the part of the nursing home management as well as the ownership. The thing is that, while its still definitely rare, nursing home abuse is far more common than one might think, therefore according to Mr. Spinner, the best personal injury lawyer Tampa has in practice, it is vital for you to be aware of the signs – and definitely call and visit as much as you can. Some of those signs of abuse and neglect include:

· Bruising, cuts, burn marks, or other wounds

· Poor hygiene

· Weight loss

· Malnutrition and dehydration

· Confusion and disorientation

· Depression, withdrawal, and a reluctance to interact with people.

Definitely be on the lookout for these all too common signs of nursing home abuse. For more information on such issues or to schedule your own personal injury consult, be sure to contact Spinner Law Firm today.