After exhausting all of the resources available to allow your family member to stay home to receive care for an injury or illness or because of issues associated with aging, you can talk to a nursing home to see if there is room available.
Before making a final decision about the nursing home where your family member should live, you need to talk to the workers and some of the patients who are there. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse can occur even if you’ve performed the most extensive research possible about the facility. Here are a few things you can do if you suspect abuse is taking place.
Have a Conversation
Before jumping to conclusions, try to talk to your family member to see if there has been anything different taking place in the facility. Look for any bruises or odd restraints that shouldn’t be present before making a formal report to the operator of the facility or a nursing home abuse attorney.
If you do notice anything that could be considered abuse, you can then make a report and seek legal assistance so that more information can be gathered. Talk to some of the other family members of residents who are in the nursing home to see if they have noticed anything out of the ordinary, as well.
You can also call for a free personal injury case evaluation from an expert nursing home abuse lawyer in your area to discuss your case before filing a claim. A lawyer knows exactly the in and out of this case and they will answer all your questions, help with the investigation, and will guide you through the process of your claim.
Pictures
Take as many pictures of your family member as possible if there are any bruises or other signs of abuse. These pictures should be dated so that you know when they were taken. If you see any other signs that involve other residents in the nursing home, then consider taking pictures of them as well so that you have as much proof as possible that something could be taking place in the facility. The images could mean the difference between proving your case in court against the facility wor staying quiet about the issues that you’ve seen.
Staff Relations
Try to talk to the nurses and other workers at the facility if you suspect any kind of abuse. There could be one or two who pay attention to the other workers when they are working and report back to you if abuse is taking place.
Sometimes, the things that you think might be abuse could be done for the health and safety of the resident. Get a list of the types of restraints that are used and the types of therapy used in the facility before you make the decision to take your family member to the nursing home so that you have a better understanding of how the workers provide care.
Police Reports
After obtaining pictures and getting all of the information that you believe you will need, you can consult with someone at your local police department to make a report. An officer will usually talk to your family member and possibly some of the other residents in the nursing home.
The officer will usually talk to the workers at the nursing home in order to get both sides of the claims that you’ve presented. If there is enough evidence, then an officer can file the proper charges and instruct you on how to proceed so that you can take the case to court.
Legal Action
Once all of the paperwork has been filed, you can talk to a nursing home abuse attorney who can file further documents in court against the facility. An attorney will know if more information is needed against the nursing home and what information should be presented to the court. When the case goes to court, your attorney will know the types of questions to ask witnesses and how to describe the evidence obtained about the nursing home, especially if you have clear images of bruises and physical restraints that shouldn’t be near your family member.
During the court process, your attorney can put together a settlement demand to present to the opposing side that includes compensation for medical treatment that might be needed, as well as pain and suffering. Your attorney will also negotiate with the opposing side if an initial agreement isn’t reached right away.
