Nursing Home Neglegence

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Trusting someone else to take care of your loved ones is always a difficult decision.  When older friends and loved ones become unable to safely care for themselves, a nursing home is often the only choice to keep them safe.  All New Jersey nursing homes have a legal duty to provide competent care and respect for residents. Ignoring this duty by providing negligent care can cause significant harm to an already vulnerable group. At The Epstein Law Firm, P.A., our New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyers are committed to helping victims of nursing home negligence in Bergen County and across New Jersey. 

Our dedicated attorneys use skill, reputation, and resources to get you the full and fair compensation you deserve.  Our nursing home negligence attorneys in Rochelle Park, NJ are known for taking cases like yours seriously—and putting in the hours needed to personally build your case to get the best possible results.

Our New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyers know how important it is to take action quickly if you suspect your loved one has been a victim of nursing home negligence. If your loved one has been hurt or receiving improper care while in a nursing home, we take protective measures and begin our investigation immediately. To learn more about how to hold a negligent nursing home financially accountable, call our experienced nursing home negligence attorneys in Rochelle Park, NJ today for a free consultation.

Understanding Nursing Home Abuse and Negligence

Nursing home negligence can happen in a number of different ways.  Even if you visit your loved one frequently, they may be suffering from neglect for some time before you realize that something is wrong. While nursing home abuse tends to be easier to detect, nursing home negligence may be very subtle. 

In the most basic terms, nursing home negligence takes place when the nursing home or staff members fail to meet the basic needs of residents.  This can happen when the nursing home:

• Fails to provide necessary medications
• Does not provide proper protections for residents who are fall risks
• Fails to ensure that a resident does not elope from the nursing home
• Neglects to seek out proper medical care for residents in a timely manner
• Withholds food or water, or fails to provide adequate nutrition
• Fails to provide needed care, including proper care for patients who are immobile in bed
• Provides inadequate supervision or assistance, which can result in serious injuries
• Otherwise fails to respect the basic rights of nursing home residents, whether with respect to physical or mental needs

All nursing homes in New Jersey are subject to a general set of rules designed to keep nursing home residents safe and healthy.  Those rules provide residents with a series of rights, including:

• The right to be free from abuse, including physical, emotional or financial abuse
• The right to be free from overcrowding
• Receiving all appropriate and necessary care, which includes medical evaluations and treatment, pain management and any other type of care the resident might specifically need
• The right to live in a nursing home that is safe and sanitary
• The right to receive a written statement of the rights specifically guaranteed to nursing home residents under law
• Any rights otherwise guaranteed to residents under state or federal law

While nursing home abuse is inexcusable in itself, nursing home negligence can have similarly severe consequences. Your loved one may be physically hurt, emotionally isolated and any underlying conditions may worsen. At The Epstein Law Firm, P.A., our New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyers are passionate about doing all we can to stop nursing home negligence and hold responsible parties accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including financially.

Nursing Home Negligence Attorneys in Rochelle Park, NJ Can Help with Serious Consequences of Nursing Home Abuse

When nursing homes fail to provide proper care, the consequences can be serious.  Nursing home residents who are neglected can be seriously hurt and existing conditions can worsen.  Specific examples of how nursing home negligence can harm residents include:

• Fall injuries.  Nursing home residents are often admitted because they are unable to safely care for themselves—meaning that a level of supervision is needed to protect their safety.  When residents cannot safely move from one place to another without help, they can suffer serious falls when that help is withheld.

• Wandering residents.  Similarly, nursing home residents may be mentally disoriented.  If nursing home staff members are neglecting their duties or the facility is overcrowded and overwhelmed, residents may wander off and become seriously injured.

• Failure to monitor. Nursing home negligence often comes in the form of staff members who simply ignore residents.  The consequences of this type of negligence can be significant, and include, for example:
  • Malnutrition or dehydration
  • The worsening of existing medical conditions
  • Improper use of medications, including overdosing or failure to take needed medicines at the appropriate times

• Bed sores & pressure ulcers.  Bed-bound patients are often the victim of nursing home negligence.  These residents must be moved periodically while otherwise immobile to prevent dangerous and painful bed sores. 

• Physical and/or sexual abuse. When a nursing home resident is being physically or sexually abused, the person does not always openly talk about it. Victims can be more withdrawn and may refuse to answer your questions about how he or she is doing. Suspicious bruising may be evidence of physical abuse as well as fear around a nurse or member of the staff.

If your loved one has any unexplained injuries or you suspect that they are being neglected in a nursing home, it is important to take action quickly by calling our experienced New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyers. Our goals are twofold in these cases. We work tirelessly to:

• Keep nursing home residents safe, whether by removing them from the home or making sure they receive adequate care going forward, and
• Getting you financial compensation for the harm nursing home negligence can cause.

Contact Our Respected New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers to Take Legal Action Today

Taking action against a nursing home on your own may be difficult.  Most nursing homes are owned by large corporations that employ teams of defense lawyers to minimize their liability exposure.  As soon as they learn of a complaint, they will jump into action to protect the nursing home.

Our trusted New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyers at The Epstein Law Firm, P.A. are here to fight for your right to fair compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and more. Call or contact our office today to schedule a free, no-obligation case review.