Tampa Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

Choosing to put your elderly loved one in a long-term assisted living facility or nursing home when they can’t take care of themselves is a difficult decision for any family. You want to make sure your senior family member is treated well and receives all the care they need. So when cases of nursing home neglect and abuse appear in the news, it is understandable why Tampa residents are nervous to put their loved ones in assisted living facilities.

At Lorenzo & Lorenzo, we have seen first-hand the devastation inflicted on a family when elder abuse or neglect occurs. Our experienced personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys have decades of experience serving residents of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and throughout the state of Florida in all kinds of legal matters, including nursing home abuse. Each case is different, which is why it is important you get in touch with us as soon as possible to learn about your legal options.

• Physical. Physical abuse is any intentional, unnecessary use of force against another person. In nursing homes, physical abuse commonly takes the form of using unwarranted physical restraints on a patient or giving an elderly person antipsychotic drugs or other medication for no medical reason.
• Negligence. Failing to provide an elderly patient with a reasonable standard of care is also considered abuse. Negligence can come in many forms – from physical neglect to emotional/psychological abuse to slips/falls.
• Financial. Financial exploitation is one of the most common types of nursing home abuse in Florida and nationwide. Because they are so dependent on their caregivers, elderly residents are extremely vulnerable to illegal exploitation such as credit card/bank account theft, healthcare fraud, scams and identity theft.

Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Physical abuse is typically the easiest type of mistreatment to spot. Signs of physical nursing home abuse include unexplained bruises, cuts, welts, scratches, broken/fractured bones, malnutrition or other bodily injuries.

Identifying when emotional abuse is occurring is more difficult than other types of abuse, but it can be just as damaging to your loved one’s quality of life and even lead to physical illness. Signs of emotional abuse can vary greatly, but include rapid weight loss, reluctance to speak when staff members are present, unexplainable changes in behavior or if your loved one seems emotionally withdrawn or non-communicative.

As for financial abuse, this can occur without any warning signs whatsoever, which is why family members with elderly loved ones in a nursing home should stay vigilant for suspicious financial activity such as abrupt and unusual checks, additional names on the resident’s bank account/card, unexplained withdrawals and loss of personal items.

When it comes to sexual wrongdoing in a nursing home, signs of abuse can be both physical and behavioral. Such indicators can include new emergence of STDs, difficulty walking or sitting, bruises or bleeding around genital area, social withdrawal, agitation, inappropriate or unusual behavior, panic attacks or attempted suicide.

Other indicators of nursing home negligence can include regular dehydration, infection, bed sores, poor hygiene, unsanitary living conditions, lack of mobility and unexplained injuries.

The abuse or neglect of an elderly loved one is bad enough, but the injury is that much worse when it results in their early passing. In Florida, when nursing home abuse results in a fatality, a wrongful death claim may be filed by the victim’s surviving loved ones.

• The right to freedom from abuse, mistreatment and neglect;
• The right to freedom from physical restraints;
• The right to privacy;
• The right to accommodation of medical, physical, psychological and social needs;
• The right to participate in resident and family groups;
• The right to be treated with dignity;