Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Fort Wayne
As people age, they – along with their supporting family members – often decide that nursing home care is the best way to aid their health and wellbeing moving forward. It is often a difficult decision to make and one that affects families and seniors from across Fort Wayne and surrounding areas of Indiana.
And while many nursing homes provide superior medical care, as well as love and compassion to residents, some nursing homes and those who work within them miss the mark terribly. In the saddest of cases, nursing home residents are abused or neglected, leading to injuries and a decline in health. If you believe that your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse in Indiana, our law firm can help you to file a lawsuit to seek damages and raise awareness.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
There are four primary types of nursing home and elder abuse that a nursing home resident may be the victim of. All types of abuse can have negative effects on a nursing home resident’s health, and all are illegal. These include:
- Physical abuse. Physical abuse is exactly what it sounds like; acts of physical harm against a patient, such as hitting, kicking, or improperly restraining. Sometimes, physical abuse can also involve starving a patient, failing to provide proper medical care, or using prescription drugs to improperly sedate a resident.
- Sexual abuse. One of the most horrific types of nursing home abuse is sexual abuse, which is characterized by any unwanted sexual acts, including sexual touching, rape, filming, and the like.
- Emotional abuse. Abuse is not always physical; a caregiver can berate, intimidate, threaten, or belittle a nursing home resident; may force them into isolation and prevent them from physical activities; or may withhold necessary care and reasonable affection.
- Financial exploitation. Sometimes, caregivers in a nursing home setting realize that they can take advantage of an elderly resident financially, convincing the elderly person to give them access to their credit cards or bank accounts, or even to change a will.
What Are My Legal Rights after Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse is horrific, violates the duty of care owed to nursing home patients in Fort Wayne, and can even be considered medical malpractice as nursing homes are medical facilities. When nursing home abuse causes harm to your loved one, they have the right to file a civil action against the nursing home for all damages suffered. The nursing home employee responsible may face both civil and criminal charges as a result.
Contact the Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at the Bellinger Law Office
We want to help you and your family if someone you love has been abused in a nursing home. Please contact our aggressive nursing home abuse lawyers at the Bellinger Law Office to schedule a consultation as soon as possible after learning of nursing home abuse. We can go to work immediately to protect your loved one and hold the nursing home responsible for their egregious actions. Contact us today.
