Nursing Home Neglect Attorneys
Elk & Elk Co., Ltd..
Elderly and disabled people living in assisted living facilities, long-term care rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes are by definition vulnerable. They depend on their caregivers to guard their health and safety. Ironically enough, although people live in long-term care facilities for the precise objective of preserving their well-being, these same facilities often become sources of neglect, injury and premature death.
The National Organization for Victim Assistance reports on its Web site that "The environment at many residential care facilities across the country is ripe for abuse and therefore warrants the attention of all individuals working to help adults live with dignity and respect. . . . There is much that is unknown about the abuse and criminal victimization of adults living in residential care facilities, but what is known should give advocates for adults and crime victims reason for serious concern. Available data suggests that adults are victimized at an alarming rate, and often have much more difficulty participating in the criminal justice system and receiving the help they need."
Did your elderly or disabled husband, wife, mother, father, brother, sister or other family member essentially "fall through the cracks" and suffer injury or loss of life while in a long-term care facility? Nursing home neglect often remains out of sight, out of mind to the public at-large. Only the caregivers, the residents and visiting family typically see what goes on inside a nursing home. Aides, nurses and other workers have 24/7 access to residents — which sometimes leads to outright abuse situations and neglect such as the following:
- Bedsores
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Elopement
- Falls
Regulatory agencies are supposed to enforce federal and state laws regarding nursing homes. Unfortunately, these agencies are often understaffed, as are nursing homes. Consequently, a care facility that allows abuse and neglect to take place within its walls on a regular basis is often not discovered until after the fact when a resident is injured or dies under questionable circumstances.
At Elk & Elk Co., Ltd., our dedicated team of nursing home attorneys and supportive professionals stand up for the rights of elderly and disabled residents who have become victims of nursing home injury and abuse. We welcome your call or e-mail to request a consultation with a nursing home neglect lawyer with no further obligation.
