Whitfield County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Nursing homes are supposed to be safe places where people who need round-the-clock care can be taken care of, socialize with similarly situated friends, get visits from friends and family, and live in comfort. Unfortunately, neglect and abuse can happen to people anywhere, including in nursing facilities.
If you believe your loved one suffered neglect or abuse in a Whitfield County nursing home, contact an experienced attorney. A Whitfield County nursing home abuse lawyer is available to assist you in investigating your concerns, reporting them to the appropriate state agency, and holding the abusive parties financially responsible for their lack of care.
Elder Abuse
Intentional and neglectful acts—or failures to act—by trusted individuals or caregivers that put an elderly person at risk of harm constitutes elder abuse. This term is not limited to physical harm. It may also include abandonment, psychological or emotional harm, financial abuse, sexual abuse, and exploitation.
Tennessee is a mandatory reporting state, which means anyone who suspects or has knowledge of elder abuse is obligated to report it, regardless of their relationship to the victim or abuser. In addition to any other criminal penalties that may be applicable, such as assault or fraud, elder abuse is punishable as its own criminal offense.
Elder abuse is a Class D felony, which is subject to incarceration for two to 12 years and fines of up to $5,000. Additionally, being found guilty of or pleading guilty to elder abuse requires registration as a person who has abused, neglected, or misappropriated property from vulnerable individuals. This registry prohibits the convicted individual from working with vulnerable populations in the future. Speak with a Whitfield County nursing abuse home lawyer for more information.
Preventing Nursing Home Abuse in Whitfield County
In an effort to ensure the safety of nursing home residents in Whitfield County and throughout Tennessee, there are abuse prevention requirements that all nursing facilities are required to comply with.
Nursing staff must be available to nursing home residents at any time and on every day of the year. Nursing home residents must be provided three meals daily, but cannot go for more than 14 hours without being provided with a meal.
In addition to an established number of baths, residents must receive weekly, non-mobile residents must be turned every two hours to prevent bedsores.
Causes of Action
These guidelines for nursing facilities also provide the families of residents with a standard of care expectations. When a nursing facility fails to provide the standard of care that is provided in law, and that failure subsequently leads to a resident being harmed, the resident or family may have a legal cause of action to file a lawsuit.
For example, if a nursing home resident is hospitalized, and it is subsequently determined that the patient’s overall condition worsened because they were malnourished and have an infection from bedsores, they and their family likely have valid grounds for a nursing home abuse case. If interested in building a nursing home abuse case, speak with a Whitfield County nursing home abuse lawyer.
How a Whitfield County Nursing Home Attorney Can Help
When the nursing staff at a resident facility is negligent, specific staff members or even the nursing facility itself may be liable for the resident’s injuries. To ensure that your nursing home abuse claim receives the attention it deserves and includes all the relevant parties, contact a Whitfield County nursing home abuse lawyer for help today.
