Clearwater Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Cases involving neglect and abuse by nursing home and assisted living facility staff are among the most disturbing personal injury cases we handle at the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys. These cases frequently involve clear negligence or the intentional abuse and complete disregard of the needs of some of our state’s most vulnerable residents. If your loved one has suffered from abuse or neglect at a Clearwater nursing home, the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys may be able to help.
We represent residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities who have been injured because of neglect and abuse. We also represent victim’s families in these cases in situations where residents have died from their injuries. For nearly 20 years, our Clearwater nursing home abuse attorneys have represented hundreds of nursing home residents and their families prosecuting negligent facilities.
If you suspect that someone you love is the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, please call our office today at 1-800-222-8163 or for an immediate response please submit a Free Case Evaluation.
Suspect Neglect? We Can Help
Nursing home and assisted living residents in Clearwater deserve dignity and appropriate care and treatment. Sadly, these vulnerable adults are often at the mercy of those who are supposed to care for them. When their needs are neglected and abuse occurs, their health can quick spiral downward.
Victims of abuse and neglect at Clearwater nursing homes and assisted living facilities and their families may be entitled to compensation for the harm done. The Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys has obtained more than $90 million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of our clients. In dangerous situations, we can take action to ensure the abuse and neglect stops, transferring your family member to a safer, more caring, facility.
Elderly Residents Have Legal Rights
Federal law states that nursing home residents have “the right to be free from verbal, sexual, physical and mental abuse, corporal punishment, and involuntary seclusion.” If you believe your loved one has been harmed by nursing home neglect or abuse, consult with an experienced Clearwater nursing home abuse lawyer at the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys.
According to Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration, there are 13 licensed nursing homes in Clearwater, with a total capacity of 1,426 beds. These facilities house vulnerable, aged and disabled people – many who suffer from dementia or physical problems making it difficult to move without assistance or communicate. Others may fear retaliation if they complain of their treatment.
If you have a friend or family member living in a nursing home, it is important that you visit them not only to keep their spirits up but to take a good, hard look at their condition and whether there are any signs of problems with their care and treatment. If you fear a problem with abuse or neglect, you must be the voice for those why cannot speak for themselves. Contact our office so we can talk about your loved one’s rights and what can be done about the situation.
Types of Abuse and Neglect
Abuse and neglect may be committed by an individual care giver or reflect serious, systemic, corporate management problems at the facility. Such may include,
Staffing Shortages in Nursing Homes
Neglect often involves facilities which are short of staff. Frequently, when these corporate managed facilities try to improve slim profit margins, they do so by cutting or limiting personnel costs. Understaffing can lead to the following problems:
- Employees who do not have the time to complete their daily assignments may falsify records so it looks like needed care took place.
- Residents are not properly fed, lose weight and suffer from malnutrition and dehydration.
- Hygiene if ignored may cause avoidable infections.
- Residents who are bed bound are not regularly turned or repositioned so avoidable bed sores, pressure sores and decubitus ulcers develop. These wounds may become infected based upon their location and potentially life threatening if not treated quickly and appropriately.
- Residents who are not properly supervised may try to walk unassisted, suffer falls and preventable injuries.
Injured? Contact the Clearwater Nursing Home Lawyers at the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys
If your loved one has been abused in a nursing home or assisted living facility in Clearwater, contact our law office today at 1-800-222-8163. Our Clearwater nursing home abuse lawyers are available 24/7 to review your potential case and our consultations are free.
At the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys, we do not get paid unless we Win… and We Want to Win!