Moving an elderly loved one into a nursing home or assisted living facility for around-the-clock supervision is one of the hardest decisions any family can make, even if the facility you end up choosing provides the best and most compassionate care possible. That decision can be even harder to grapple with, though, if you find out that your family member has been mistreated in any way by the very people who were supposed to be keeping them healthy and safe.
Abuse and neglect inside nursing homes are shockingly common not just in Arizona, but all over the United States, and it is something that experienced personal injury attorneys know how to address quickly and effectively. With a dedicated Gilbert nursing home abuse lawyer from Phillips Law Group by your side, you will be able to ensure your loved one is safe from any further harm and then demand comprehensive compensation for all the harm they have already suffered.
What to Do About Suspected Nursing Home Mistreatment
One thing worth noting about nursing home abuse and neglect is that while it is never acceptable, it is also not always something that requires formal legal action to resolve. In some situations, it may be possible to get minor problems fixed by speaking directly with nursing home staff members or administrators, who may simply be unaware of an issue with a particular resident’s care or special needs.
There are also various options for reporting nursing home abuse to state government authorities who may be able to help, including the long-term care ombudsman program, the Maricopa County Area Agency on Aging, Adult Protective Services, and the Long-Term Care Licensing Bureau within the Arizona Department of Health Services. A Gilbert nursing home neglect attorney can offer further guidance during a free, no-obligation consultation about what course of action may be appropriate for a particular situation.
Recovering for Damages on a Loved One’s Behalf
Of course, no amount of money can completely erase the physical and psychological trauma that an abused or neglected nursing home resident has experienced. What civil restitution can do in a situation like this, though, is minimize the degree to which this kind of mistreatment negatively affects the lives of that resident and everyone else who loves them, specifically by compensating them for losses they only have to deal with because of that mistreatment.
This can include things like:
- All medical expenses related to injuries or illnesses caused by mistreatment
- Personal property damage/loss
- Lost work income for family members who had to leave work to care for a mistreated loved one
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish and psychological distress
- Lost overall quality of life
In the event that nursing home abuse in Gilbert directly leads to a resident’s premature death, a seasoned lawyer can help surviving family members demand restitution for things like emotional anguish, lost love and companionship, and lost future value of inheritance through “wrongful death” litigation.
Talk to a Gilbert Nursing Home Abuse Attorney About Your Legal Options
Everyone who depends on someone else’s help to manage day-to-day tasks deserves to be treated with kindness and respect by everyone involved in caring for them. If you suspect your loved one has instead been neglected or abused by staff members of their nursing home, it may fall to you to take legal action on their behalf and seek financial recovery for the harm that has been done to them.
This can be a legally and emotionally complex process under the best of circumstances, and it can be much easier to handle in a proactive way with help from a skilled Gilbert nursing home abuse lawyer.
Call Phillips Law Group today to speak with a member of our legal team about what your next steps should be. We look forward to having the opportunity to help you navigate a difficult situation. Do not hesitate to reach out! Please call us today to learn more in a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.
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