
Any type of abuse can be very damaging to Baltimore nursing home residents. The effects of such abuse vary from case to case based on how long the abuse continued; how severe the abuse was; and the victim’s constitution, personality, and support system.
A Baltimore nursing home abuse lawyer can assess your case and determine how much financial compensation your family deserves for the abuse your loved one suffered.
What Are the Types of Nursing Home Abuse?
The types of nursing home abuse that Baltimore nursing facility residents may be subject to include:
- Neglect: Neglect means the nursing home does not provide adequate care for the resident. They did not pay enough attention to their needs and problems. This type of abuse can result in depression, anxiety, loneliness, health problems, and injuries.
- Physical Abuse: Any physical contact between a nursing home resident and an employee should be appropriate and professional. Becoming violent or handling a resident carelessly counts as physical abuse.
- Sexual Abuse: There should never be sexual contact of any kind between employees and elderly residents. Even if the resident “consented,” the employee has power over them, so granting real consent is impossible.
- Psychological or Emotional Abuse: Making a nursing home resident feel worthless, uncared for, unsafe, or guilty for needing help are all examples of emotional or psychological abuse.
- Financial Abuse: Employees have no right to ask nursing home residents for money, steal their credit cards, ask them to change their will, or make bargains (e.g., give a resident an amenity in exchange for a bribe).
- Verbal Abuse: Disagreements may arise between nursing home staff members and patients, but employees should never shout, use profanity, or say cruel things to the patient.
- Medical Abuse: If and when nursing home residents require medical care, the employees must ensure they get it swiftly and competently. Misdiagnosing the patient, providing poor-quality care, or denying proper care is unacceptable.
For a free legal consultation, call,
(888) 585-2188
How Does Abuse in Nursing Homes Harm Patients?
It is impossible to state that one type of abuse is the most damaging (or more damaging than others) because abuse in Baltimore nursing homes varies so widely. Even if two patients suffer the same kind of abuse, their outcomes may be very different. For example:
- Say that Patient A and Patient B both suffer the same act of physical abuse at the hands of the same nursing home employee.
- Patient A is a relatively healthy individual, while Patient B is frailer. The abuse will likely have a more harmful physical effect on Patient B than on Patient A.
- Patient A has few close friends and relatives, while Patient B is very close to their family. Patient B has a better emotional support system and may therefore experience less psychological trauma than Patient A.
Ongoing Versus One-Time Nursing Home Abuse
Another factor that impacts how damaging the abuse turns out to be is the duration of the abuse. Being hit once is inexcusable, undeniably frightening, and painful, but being yelled at multiple times a week for an extended period may result in more severe long-term damage.
Here is another example: if an employee extorts money from nursing home residents, the effect of the resulting financial damages will depend on multiple elements, including how much the employee took, how many times they approached the patient for money, and the patient’s financial resources and stability.
Elder Abuse Is Always Damaging and Never Acceptable
The abuse your loved one suffered has had a devastating impact on them and your entire family. You do not need to prove that your situation represents a worst-case scenario or that it is the most damaging abuse case in Baltimore. All your nursing home abuse attorney must show is that:
- The nursing home had a duty of care towards your loved one and was responsible for looking after their welfare.
- The nursing home failed to live up to its responsibility and treated your loved one in an abusive or neglectful manner.
- Your loved one sustained an injury (physical, emotional, or otherwise) because of the nursing home’s failure.
- Your loved one’s injury resulted in substantial, avoidable suffering, such as physical pain, mental distress, and/or financial losses.
What Can You Do About Baltimore Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home patients have rights and protections under the law. At both the state and local levels in Maryland, patients are entitled to live in a healthy environment free of abuse or neglect. The Maryland Department of Health lists specific rights that nursing home residents have, including the right to:
- Participate in their own care and make decisions for themselves
- Complain about subpar treatment and expect nursing home administration to address those complaints promptly
- Have regular access to their medical records and their loved ones
A Baltimore Elder Abuse Lawyer Can Protect Your Family’s Rights
If a nursing home facility violates a resident’s rights in any way, victims of nursing home abuse and their families can hire a personal injury lawyer to take action against the nursing home on their behalf. Such action might include:
- Helping you report the abuse to the proper authorities
- Gathering evidence to prove the at-fault party’s behavior was inappropriate and had damaging effects
- Determining whether the nursing home as a whole was responsible for the abuse or if your suit should target a specific employee or employees
- Confronting the nursing home about the abuse and asking them to pay your family fair compensation
- Taking legal action by filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit against the nursing home facility
- Working with the nursing home’s representatives to arrive at a fair settlement—or possibly taking the nursing home to court to fight for fair compensation
Getting Legal Support After Nursing Home Abuse in Baltimore
It is a good idea to consult with a personal injury lawyer about your nursing home abuse case as soon as possible. Your legal representative can manage your entire case, answer all your legal questions, and give you the necessary time to focus on helping your loved one recover from this terrible experience.
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We Handle Baltimore Cases Involving All Kinds of Nursing Home Abuse
Our personal injury law firm has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients, including those who have experienced the most damaging types of abuse in a nursing home setting. If you are ready to hold your loved one’s Baltimore nursing home accountable, contact Jenner Law today and let us assess your case for free.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form