nursing home abuse

Common Signs of Elder Abuse in Arizona

By Personal Injury Lawyer on January 18, 2010

Bedsores (also known as decubitus ulcers) are one of the most common signs of nursing home neglect. In the worst cases, they may cover an elderly person’s body. Bedridden seniors and shut-ins can end up with these sores due to neglect. This affliction is usually preventable, and this type of injury is frequently a sign of nursing home abuse.

Other elder abuse cases involve elderly people who are denied proper food and water, and thus suffer from malnutrition and/ or dehydration. While a doctor’s diagnosis is normally required to prove that these conditions are present, it’s possible to recognize the signs and symptoms of dehydration or malnutrition. These signs should raise a red flag and be fully investigated.

Indicators such as poor personal hygiene or a normally clean, fastidious person who suddenly appears to lose interest in personal care can be signs of a problem that’s much more serious.

Obviously, not every possible marker of nursing home abuse means that there is indisputable neglect taking place. However, examining any and all symptoms to uncover possible offenses is a vital step to assuring that loved ones are protected from nursing home abuse or neglect in Peoria and throughout the state of Arizona.

As Peoria nursing home abuse lawyers, we understand how difficult it is for a family to discover that their loved one has been a victim to elderly neglect or abuse. If you suspect such negligence, please feel free to contact Breyer Law Office, P.C. today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We can help.

What Can I Do if I Suspect Elder Abuse?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 28, 2009

Clearly, not every single red flag or sign of nursing home abuse listed above is going to necessarily mean that there is neglect and abuse going on. That’s why it’s so important to try and do some investigative work to try and uncover the causes of the signs. This is a vital step in not only protecting your loved one, but also in ensuring that no other individual is abused or neglected in the nursing home.

When investigating, be sure to visit your family member or friend on a regular basis to ensure they are receiving proper medical care. Ask them questions about their care and treatment at the nursing home. If you do suspect abuse, whether at a nursing home in Mesa, a private facility, from an at-home nurse, or in a hospital, you have the right to take legal action to protect your loved one and to help them win compensation for medical bills, therapy, and any pain and suffering they endured.

As nursing home abuse attorneys in Phoenix experienced with the Arizona Adult Protective Services Act, we can help you and your loved one with any legal and related issues involving elder abuse. While not every injury needs to result in a lawsuit, we are happy to provide you with the information and answers you require to make the best decision for you and your loved one. Please contact our offices at 480-753-4534 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.

How Can I Tell if My Loved One is Being Abused in a Mesa Nursing Home?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 26, 2009

Instances of elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes in Mesa and throughout the United States continue to be a problem. People who have been productive members of society for many decades – who deserve to be treated with care and respect – are treated horribly and made to suffer untold abuses at the hands of their caregivers, the very people who are paid to protect them.

If you suspect elder abuse at a nursing home facility or assisted living facility, it’s critically important that you investigate further and possibly even take legal action. The very first priority of any nursing home abuse lawsuit in Mesa is to make sure that the person being abused is properly cared for, protected, and they are compensated for their physical injuries and pain and suffering. However, once that goal is achieved, another important aspect of these kinds of abuse lawsuits is that they hold the responsible parties accountable, oftentimes forcing negligent nursing homes to either shut down or change their ways. Therefore, besides protecting the abused individual, elder abuse lawsuits also help to protect others who live in these nursing home facilities.

What is Nursing Home Abuse in Arizona?
There are many different kinds of nursing home abuse or neglect. Sometimes, it comes down to not ensuring the safety of someone who isn’t very steady on their feet and has an increased likelihood of falling. When measures are not taking to protect a patient or a resident, then this is considered nursing home neglect.

Sometimes, though, neglect goes beyond just making simple mistakes and is taken to the next level of actual abuse. This kind of abuse includes actions such as hitting, slapping, restraining, shoving, and intentionally under-medicating or over-medicating. As a result of this abuse, elderly people might suffer from broken bones, cuts, swelling of the extremities, bruises, and other physical injuries at the very hands of the people who are supposed to be taking care of them.

If you believe that a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse, please contact the skilled personal injury attorneys at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. We can help.

Nursing Home Injury: What Can You Do?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 2, 2009

Most families who put their loved ones in Arizona nursing homes do so because they feel it is in their loved one’s best interests. When they choose a nursing home or other long term care facility, they do research to ensure that their loved one’s needs are met by the qualified staff at the facility. Yet top Arizona nursing home injury attorneys understand that too many times residents in these long term care facilities are neglected or even abused in these establishments that are meant to take care of them. As experienced Arizona injury attorneys, we understand that most staff at Arizona nursing homes do their jobs competently, but even so these institutions may be responsible in the even that an injury occurs to someone under their care.

Because of this, looking out for signs of neglect and abuse is vital, and it is equally as important to hold negligent nursing facilities responsible when their staff does something wrong. This is so not just for the person who has been neglected or abused, but also for those who may reside in the nursing facility in the future.

If you suspect that someone you know may have been abused or neglected at an Arizona nursing home, please feel free to call us for a free, non-obligatory consultation. We are privileged to have a lawyer that is certified by the Arizona State Bar in personal injury and wrongful death law, an honor bestowed on less than two percent of Arizona lawyers. Our certified personal injury specialist has experience dealing with such matters, and can give you sound and straightforward advice about how to proceed with your potential nursing home injury claim. It is important to hold negligent nursing homes accountable for injuries that they and their staff may have caused through the abuse or neglect of the people in their care.