Trust the Expertise of Our Raleigh Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

It is a sad reality that our most vulnerable loved ones may face negligence or abuse in nursing homes. As a leading nursing home abuse lawyer in Raleigh, we are committed to bringing justice to these victims and their families. We understand the emotional, physical, and financial impacts such scenarios can have, and we are here to help you navigate through these challenging times.

The Hidden Cost of Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse often results in more than just emotional and physical trauma. The financial impact of the abuse of nursing home residents can be devastating, with victims and their families frequently bearing the burden of unexpected expenses. These can include:

Medical Costs

Nursing home abuse can lead to significant medical costs. The specifics will vary based on the nature and extent of the abuse, but commonly encountered costs can include:

Immediate Medical Attention

If elder abuse results in physical injuries such as fractures, cuts, burns, or internal injuries, immediate medical attention will be required. This can involve emergency room visits, surgery, medication, and other treatments. Physical abuse can be life-threatening.

Hospitalization

Depending on the severity of the injuries, hospitalization may be necessary. The cost of a hospital stay can be quite high, particularly if intensive care is required after physical abuse.

Long-Term Care

If elder abuse leads to permanent damage, such as a disability or worsening of a pre-existing condition, the victim may need long-term medical care. This can involve physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and more.

Mental Health Services

Abuse can have severe psychological consequences, leading to conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Victims may need psychological or psychiatric treatment, including therapy and medication.

Rehabilitation

In cases where the victim's mobility has been compromised due to abuse, they might need physiotherapy and rehabilitation services to regain their strength and independence.

Specialist Consultations

In many instances, victims might need to consult with various specialists such as orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, psychologists, and more, depending on the nature of their injuries.

Additional Care Needs

In severe cases, victims may require a higher level of care than what is typically provided in a nursing home, such as specialized nursing care, or may need to utilize assistive devices like wheelchairs or walkers.

These costs can quickly add up and become a significant burden for the victim and their family. A skilled nursing home abuse attorney can help recover these costs through a legal claim against the liable parties.

Relocation Expenses

Relocation after nursing home abuse is often a necessary step to ensure the safety and well-being of the abused resident. This can entail various expenses:

Searching for a New Home

The process of finding a new nursing home involves costs like travel to visit potential locations, background checks to verify the home's record, and consultation fees with experts who can help make an informed decision.

Admission Fees

Many nursing homes charge an upfront admission fee. These fees can cover administrative costs, initial medical assessments, and setting up the resident's living space.

Moving Costs

The physical move to a new location can entail expenses, especially if specialized transportation is required due to the resident's health condition. Additionally, there might be costs associated with moving personal belongings.

Higher Cost of Care

If the abuse resulted in escalated care needs, the new nursing home might be more expensive than the previous one. This can mean higher monthly fees, added costs for specialized care or therapy, and potential expenses for medical equipment.

Transition Care

The transition to a new home can be stressful and may require additional temporary care or therapeutic support, leading to added costs.

Non-Refundable Fees

In some cases, the fees paid at the previous nursing home may be non-refundable, leading to a financial loss.

It's important to understand these potential costs when considering relocation after nursing home abuse. A qualified attorney can assist you in seeking compensation for these costs as part of a legal claim against those responsible for the abuse.

Loss of Personal Property

Nursing home abuse can sometimes involve the theft, misuse, or destruction of a resident's personal property. This type of financial loss might not be as immediately apparent as medical or relocation costs, but it can still significantly impact the victim and their family.

Here are some examples of personal property loss expenses:

Replacement Costs

The most straightforward expense is the cost of replacing stolen or destroyed items. This can range from clothing, jewelry, and personal electronics to more specialized items like hearing aids, glasses, or mobility aids.

Valuable or Heirloom Items

It can be particularly distressing when valuable or sentimental items are stolen or damaged. While you can't put a price on sentimental value, you may be able to claim the monetary value of these items.

Legal and Administrative Costs

There may be costs associated with reporting the theft, working with insurance companies, and taking legal action to recover the value of the stolen property.

Identity Theft

If the abuse involved the theft of sensitive documents or information, the resident could be at risk of identity theft. This could result in significant financial damage and would require steps to monitor and protect the victim's credit, potentially incurring additional costs.

While these costs might not be as high as medical expenses or relocation costs, they can still add a significant financial burden. In a legal claim for nursing home abuse, these expenses can be included in the damages sought. It's important to keep a record of all losses and associated costs to help in this process. A skilled nursing home abuse attorney can guide you through this process to ensure all losses are adequately accounted for and claimed.

Loss of Income and Life Quality

In addition to immediate expenses, there can be long-term financial effects due to elder abuse in nursing homes

Loss of Income

If a family member has to take time off work or even leave their job to take care of an abused loved one, the loss of income can be substantial.

Reduced Quality of Life

The psychological impact of abuse can affect a person’s ability to enjoy life and engage in activities they used to love, which is a type of non-economic damage that can be financially compensated in a legal claim.

Wrongful Death

In the worst cases, nursing home abuse can lead to premature death, resulting in both emotional and financial loss for the surviving family members.

Seek Legal Recourse and Compensation

No one should have to bear the financial burden of nursing home abuse alone. As an experienced Raleigh-based attorney specializing in this field, we can guide you in seeking legal recourse. Victims of abuse and their families may be eligible to receive compensation to cover:

• Medical expenses: This includes both past and future estimated costs related to the abuse.
• Pain and suffering: Courts often award sums to account for the physical and emotional trauma experienced by the victim.
• Punitive damages: These are awarded to deter the offender (and others) from committing similar acts in the future

Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse can take many forms, each with its own harmful effects on the nursing home residents. Here are some common types of abuse:

Physical Abuse

This involves the use of physical force that results in bodily injury, pain, or impairment. Examples include hitting, shoving, slapping, force-feeding, improper use of restraints, and more.

Emotional Abuse

This form of abuse is characterized by behaviors that cause emotional pain, distress, or anguish. This includes verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment. It can also involve more subtle tactics like isolation from friends or activities.

Sexual Abuse

Any non-consensual sexual contact is considered abuse. This can include physical acts, forcing the nursing home resident to watch sexual material, or coercing them into undressing.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse involves the unauthorized or improper use of an elderly person's funds, property, or assets. It can range from outright theft to more subtle forms of manipulation or coercion to gain control over their finances.

Neglect

Neglect occurs when the caregiver fails to fulfill their caregiving duties, such as not providing adequate food, water, shelter, personal hygiene, medication, comfort, or safety precautions. This form of elder abuse is often hard to notice without consistent family members visiting.

Abandonment

This form of abuse occurs when a person who has physical custody or responsibility for a senior's care deserts them.

Healthcare Fraud

This includes unethical practices by healthcare providers like overcharging services, under- or over-medicating, getting kickbacks for referrals, or charging for healthcare services but not providing them.

Each type of abuse can lead to serious harm and can have significant long-term impacts on a resident's health, well-being, and quality of life. If you suspect nursing home abuse, it's crucial to take immediate action to protect the victim and hold the perpetrators accountable. An elder law attorney can provide guidance on the legal steps to take in such situations.

What Causes Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home abuse is a grave issue that often results from a complex combination of factors. Some of the common causes include:

Understaffing

One of the most common reasons is understaffing. When there are not enough staff members to adequately care for residents, it can lead to neglect or even direct abuse as overwhelmed employees struggle to manage their responsibilities.

Lack of Training

Nursing home staff members might not have the necessary skills or knowledge to properly care for residents, particularly those with special needs or challenging health conditions like dementia. This lack of training can lead to improper handling, neglect, and, in extreme cases, abuse.

Poor Management

If the nursing home is poorly managed, this can contribute to a culture where abuse is more likely to occur. This can include inadequate oversight of staff, lax hiring practices, poor training programs, and a lack of effective procedures for handling complaints or reports of abuse.

Staff Burnout

Working in a nursing home can be stressful and emotionally challenging, leading to high levels of burnout. Overworked and stressed staff members may become impatient, uncaring, or even abusive.

Financial Greed

In some cases, nursing home abuse may be driven by greed. This can lead to exploitation, where caregivers or management take advantage of a resident's financial resources, or instances of neglect stemming from cost-cutting measures.

Resident Vulnerability

The vulnerability of residents can also be a factor. Many nursing home residents have cognitive impairments or physical limitations that make it difficult for them to report abuse or defend themselves.

Inadequate Background Checks

Sometimes, abusive individuals are hired because of a failure to conduct thorough background checks.

Partner with a Trusted Raleigh Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

Navigating the complex legal landscape following a case of nursing home abuse can be challenging. Trust The Law Offices of John M. McCabe- your Raleigh nursing home abuse lawyer near me, to be there with you every step of the way. We are committed to holding those responsible for nursing home abuse accountable for their actions, helping you secure the justice and compensation you and your loved ones deserve.