New Haven Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

When an elderly loved one’s medical condition and care needs exceed the family’s abilities, the individual or their family members often seek the best nursing home within their budget to provide around-the-clock care. Nursing homes in Connecticut owe a legal duty to their residents to provide skilled medical care, attendance to the resident’s basic needs, and compassionate concern for their basic human rights.

Call (203) 888-8888 today to schedule a no-obligation consultation with a skilled New Haven personal injury lawyer.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse Cases In New Haven

Tragically, around five million elderly Americans who deserve care and respect suffer abuse in nursing homes each year, including nursing home abuse cases in New Haven and throughout Connecticut.

It’s difficult for most people to imagine causing suffering to others, particularly to a medically fragile elderly person who depends on qualified caregivers to meet their daily needs. Unfortunately, chronic understaffing, overwhelmed caregivers, and negligent hiring and training practices sometimes result in abuse.

Common types of nursing home abuse cases brought to court in New Haven include the following:

• Nursing home neglect such as lack of adequate hydration and nutrition, lack of proper hygiene, lack of skilled nursing care, lack of adequate medical care, and medication mistakes
• Direct physical abuse such as hitting, pushing, kicking, or shoving, from caregivers, staff members, or other residents
• Emotional abuse such as belittling, isolating, name-calling, mocking, yelling, humiliating, shaming, intimidating, or threatening
• Financial abuse such as making withdrawals from a resident’s account, stealing their personal items, writing checks from their account, or taking unauthorized control of their finances while they are incapacitated
• Sexual abuse, such as sexual assault, rape, or molestation by a caregiver, staff member, resident, visitor, or an intruder

Nursing home residents may not be able to tell their visiting family members about their abuse due to speech problems from strokes, dementia, cognitive impairment, or due to feelings of shame and a desire not to burden loved ones. They may also fear retaliation from their abuser.

If you believe your loved one’s nursing home abuse lead to their passing, contact a New Haven wrongful death lawyer today to pursue justice.

Spotting the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Because an elderly loved one may be unable or unwilling to communicate their abuse experience, it’s crucial for visiting loved ones to remain alert to common signs of nursing home abuse. A nursing home abuse victim may show signs such as the following:

• Unexplained injuries such as fractures, bruises, and head injuries
• Weight loss
• Poor hygiene
• Broken personal items such as glasses, dentures, or hearing aides
• Torn clothing
• Unclean bed linens
• Uneaten meals remaining in the room
• A change in personality, demeanor, or appearance
• Isolation
• Crying
• Unwillingness to speak in front of staff members
• Signs of dehydration such as cracked skin and lips
• Untreated or infected bedsores
• Bleeding from the private parts
• Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases
• Unexplained financial transactions

Any signs of physical, emotional, financial, or sexual abuse should be reported to the nursing home administrator and local law enforcement. Then, have the elderly loved one undergo a thorough medical exam by a trusted provider unaffiliated with the nursing home facility.

Liability In Connecticut Nursing Home Abuse Cases

Not only do nursing homes have an ethical duty to provide skilled, compassionate care and concern for a resident’s comfort and human dignity, but they also have a legal duty. This duty is in place regardless of the resident’s race, gender, or social and economic status. If a facility breaches this duty of care and causes injuries and damages to an elderly resident the facility is liable for the damages to the victim and their family. A successful claim against a nursing home’s liability insurance or a lawsuit helps provide injury victims financial compensation and a sense of justice.

How Can a New Haven Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Help?

Senior citizens in New Haven deserve the care and respect they’ve earned over a lifetime. If you or a loved one experienced abuse in a nursing home, call (203) 888-8888 or contact us online to talk with the compassionate nursing home abuse attorneys at Weber & Rubano. We can be a voice for justice in your case.