Jacksonville Senior Care Abuse Lawyers
Senior Care Abuse
As difficult as it is to understand, elder abuse is a growing problem. Elder or senior care abuse refers to an intentional or negligent act by caregivers that causes harm, or the risk of harm, to a senior. The types of abuse can include, but are not limited to, physical and emotional abuse, sexual and financial abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
Abuse can be delivered physically or by withholding of the necessities of life such as water, food or medication, and basic sanitation. Emotional abuse can take the form of berating or insulting the senior. Caretakers have also been known to steal the assets of the elderly either through fraud or outright theft.
It is difficult to imagine a person who would subject a vulnerable elder to such treatment but it does happen to people of all ethnic backgrounds and social standings.
Part of the problem is that a nursing home is a business. In order to maximize profits, corners are sometimes cut in staffing numbers or by underpaying workers. When a facility is understaffed, needs are not met, medication is not given, hygiene suffers, bed sores worsen, and elders are more likely to suffer a fall.
Underpaying workers sends a clear message from management that they are not respected professionals.
Until 2009, in Florida there was no requirement for a national background check. That year, the Florida Legislature passed a bill to require background checks on staff working with seniors, Florida's children and the disabled.
The bill was filed after a newspaper report in the Florida Sun Sentinel found that hundreds of day care center and nursing homes were staffed with career criminals and convicted felons.
Being dependant, isolated, and in some cases mentally impaired, makes an individual more vulnerable to abuse. Here is what to look for:
- Bruises or broken bones, cuts or welts
- Over medicated
- Neglected and unsanitary
- Weight loss or gain
- Malnutrition, dehydration
- Infections
- Sudden Death
In Florida, a Nursing Home Residents' Bill of Rights in Chapter 400, guarantees residents of nursing homes access to health and legal services and to be free from mental and physical abuse. Residents are supposed to be treated with dignity, including having their privacy respected. They are expected to receive appropriate health care free from physical and chemical restraints.
We take elder abuse very seriously at Farah & Farah. If you suspect that someone you love is a victim of senior care abuse, you must speak up and advocate for the elderly. Please contact our nursing home abuse lawyers in Jacksonville, and all around Florida and Georgia.
Our personal promise: Accident victims have specific rights, but by law you have a limited time to take action. When you use our team at Farah & Farah, there are NO up-front charges.
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Our fee is a percentage of the money awarded payable only when your case is successfully concluded. No matter how many times you call and how long we talk, there is NO CHARGE or cost until your case settles. Do not sign any releases, agreements or give any statements until you have spoken with us about your legal rights. When it comes to getting you more, we won't settle for less!
We personally promise that you will be treated with the respect and dignity you deserve. We promise to keep you up to date and informed as to developments in your case. Your case is important to us, regardless of size.
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