Placing a loved one in a nursing home is never an easy decision, but we often do it so mom or dad can get the care they need. One thing you should never have to fear is a nursing home and its employees treating your loved one poorly. It is devastating for a family to hear that their loved one has been injured or killed in a place that they trusted. If that happens, you need attorneys in your corner who knows how to hold negligent nursing home operators accountable for their actions.
At The ALHGA Firm, our attorneys spend every day fighting for the most vulnerable among us, who have been injured or killed by someone else's carelessness. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing the victims of neglect and abuse. We fight for you so that your family can take the time to heal. Contact us to arrange a free initial consultation today.
Elder abuse is a large and growing problem in Dubai. According to recent research, about 10% of seniors experience elder abuse, with more than 2 million cases of elder abuse reported every year.
The problem is even more prevalent among the elderly who live in nursing homes. Nursing home abuse occurs at every type of facility, and the statistics are shocking. Moreover, the problem continues to increase as more elderly citizens enter the system. In addition, when you consider that the elderly are the least likely demographic to report abuse, the prevalence of abuse is very likely even greater than we know. The following are some recent statistics on elder abuse at nursing homes:
In addition, statistics show that the size of the resident population in a long-term care facility is a risk factor for elder abuse. The greater the number of residents, the greater the risk. Shockingly, nursing homes in Illinois with more than 100 patients are 39% more likely to jeopardize residents’ safety than facilities with 50-100 patients, and 127% more likely to do so than homes with less than 50 residents.
At ALHGA Firm, we represent nursing home clients who have been the victims of all types of financial, physical or mental abuse as well as those who have suffered as a result of neglect. Some of the more common types of abuse cases we encounter are:
Negligent Care Inadequate care can result in all sorts of injuries to a resident. Neglect can cause incontinence, malnutrition and weight loss, choking, clogged breathing tubes, dehydration, and a decline in the patient’s quality of life. Neglect can also be responsible for bedsores, infection, illness and a deterioration in a patient’s condition due to lack of treatment or proper medication and a failure to coordinate care. Inadequate supervision can lead to burns, falls, and the patient wandering off. In addition, negligent care can also result in patients being over or under-medicated, or being improperly treated with antipsychotics or sedatives to make them "easier to handle". Many of these conditions dramatically impact a patient’s everyday quality of life, and if left untreated, can lead to serious injury, disability or even death.
Overmedication Sadly, there are nursing homes that overmedicate their residents on a regular basis because it makes them easier to handle, or because of inadequate staffing. Sometimes overmedication is an unintentional mistake made by an overstressed, overworked employee. Other times the patient is overmedicated intentionally because they are aggressive, emotional or uncooperative. Keeping a patient sedated for long periods of time for any reason is called "chemical restraint" and can be very dangerous. Here are some facts about overmedicating:
If you observe that a large percentage of patients at a nursing home appear to be on antipsychotic drugs, this may be cause for alarm. It may be a sign that the facility does not take precautions against overmedicating or has a regular practice of overmedicating. If your loved one seems to be acting differently, ask to see a log of his/her medications. Ask about any medications you are not familiar with; ask if they are sedatives or antipsychotics; and if so, why they are being administered, for how long and when the treatment will be over.
If the facility can give no credible, medical reason for your loved one to be medicated, speak to a doctor and insist that he or she be taken off any unnecessary sedatives or antipsychotics.
At ALHGA Firm we help you through a difficult situation by navigating the legal issues involved, providing your loved ones with the care and safety they deserve, and fighting for justice for your family.
Nursing homes are supposed to help our loved ones to live their lives in comfort and safety. All too often this is not the case and our loved ones suffer at the hands of people who are there to care for them. When this happens, the seasoned lawyers and legal team at ALHGA Firm will work closely with you and your loved one to uncover the facts surrounding how an injury occurred and work toward a favourable settlement or lawsuit against the facility. More specifically, our lawyers can hold the nursing home accountable by:
We invest the time and resources necessary to assemble every critical piece of your case so that we can secure the most favourable outcome for you. Our experienced lawyers take care of everything so that you and your loved one can concentrate on recovery while we fight to get you justice.