Protecting Your Loved Ones: Legal Options for Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

When placing a loved one in a long-term care facility, families expect safety, dignity, and professional care. Unfortunately, cases of senior injury, assisted living harm, and geriatric abuse are rising. Families in Maryland and Pennsylvania must understand their rights when a there is nursing home abuse and neglect taking place and it results in harm.

Recognizing Nursing Home Mistreatment

Negligence in residential care centers can take many forms, including:

• Physical injuries, such as fractures, bruises, and head trauma

• Emotional abuse, leading to anxiety, withdrawal, or depression

• Financial exploitation, including unauthorized transactions or altered wills

• Medical neglect, causing malnutrition, infections, or bedsores

• Failure to provide adequate supervision, resulting in falls or wandering incidents

If your loved one has suffered due to facility-based elder abuse, a senior housing failure attorney can help. Nursing home abuse and neglect

Types of Nursing Home Legal Claims

When nursing facility patient rights are violated, families may pursue legal action through:

1. Elder Neglect and Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

Neglect in nursing facilities can manifest in various forms, including inadequate medical attention, malnutrition, dehydration, bedsores, medication errors, and failure to prevent falls or infections. In severe cases, such neglect may result in serious injuries or wrongful death.

A nursing facility legal complaint can help hold negligent parties accountable.

2. Physical and Emotional Abuse Cases

Elderly residents in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to both physical and emotional abuse, which can have devastating effects on their well-being. Physical abuse includes actions such as hitting, pushing, improper restraint, or rough handling by caregivers, often resulting in bruises, fractures, or other injuries. Emotional abuse, on the other hand, can be more subtle but equally harmful, involving verbal threats, humiliation, isolation, or psychological manipulation that leads to anxiety, depression, or withdrawal.

If a resident has suffered from physical elder abuse or emotional trauma, an elder safety failure lawsuit can seek justice and compensation.

3. Financial Exploitation Claims

Unethical staff members sometimes take advantage of vulnerable residents. When there is exploitation taking place it is often underreported. Exploitation can involve involve stealing money or valuables, forging signatures, coercing residents into changing wills or financial documents, or misusing credit cards and bank accounts.

A financial elder exploitation lawsuit can help recover stolen assets.

4. Negligence in Supervision and Care

Nursing homes have a duty to provide proper supervision and care to ensure the safety and well-being of their residents. However, negligence in these areas can lead to serious consequences, such as falls, dehydration, malnutrition, untreated infections, and wandering incidents. When staff fail to monitor residents adequately, whether due to understaffing, lack of training, or sheer neglect, vulnerable seniors can suffer significant harm.

When a facility fails to prevent falls, dehydration, or malnutrition, families can file an inadequate elder supervision claim.

5. Senior Community Abuse and Assisted Living Violations

Some retirement housing and assisted living centers fail to meet legal standards. Retirement communities and assisted living facilities are expected to provide safe and supportive environments for their residents. However, some facilities fail to meet legal and ethical standards, leading to cases of abuse, neglect, or unsafe living conditions. Common violations include inadequate medical care, unsanitary living conditions, failure to provide necessary assistance, and even cases of physical, emotional, or financial abuse by staff or other residents.

Assisted housing mistreatment lawsuits can be file when the facility is not safe for a resident.

Steps to Take if You Suspect Nursing Home Negligence

If your loved one has suffered in a nursing facility, take these steps:

• Document the injuries – Take photos and collect medical records.

• Report the issue – File complaints with adult protective services.

• Consult an attorney – A geriatric legal recourse attorney can evaluate your case.

• Pursue compensation – A dependent adult exploitation claim may help recover damages.

Contact a Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer Today

If your loved one has suffered due to care home neglect, a skilled nursing facility malpractice case may be necessary.

If your loved one has suffered due to care home neglect, Ketterer Browne & Associates (KBA) is here to help. Our experienced nursing home negligence lawyers are dedicated to holding negligent facilities accountable and securing justice for victims. A skilled senior injury attorney at KBA can assess your case, gather evidence, and fight for the compensation your family deserves. Contact KBA today for a free consultation and let our legal team guide you through the process of pursuing a nursing facility malpractice case.