ADULTS WHO LIVE IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES MAY BE VULNERABLE TO ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Nursing homes, adult family homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, and other residential facilities are charged with caring for the most vulnerable people in our families and communities. Yet many of these facilities are privately owned, for-profit corporations which may mean they put their profit margins first. This can result in understaffing and other cost-cutting, which often translates into harm to the very people they are paid to care for. Despite the frequency of abuse and neglect in these facilities, the state and federal agencies charged with overseeing them are underfunded, may fail to respond adequately, and have limited remedies.The cases in which civil lawsuits are viable are those resulting in serious injury or death, such as:
- Failure to diagnose or treat a serious medical condition
- Multiple, severe bedsores or pressure ulcers
- Repeat falls
- Overmedication
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Abuse of a vulnerable adult, under Washington law, is the willful action or inaction that inflicts injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment on a vulnerable adult. It includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse, and improper chemical, physical, or mechanical restraints.
Neglect of a vulnerable adult is defined in Washington State as a pattern of conduct or inaction by a person or entity with a duty of care that:
- fails to maintain the physical or mental health of a vulnerable adult
- fails to avoid or prevent physical or mental harm or pain to a vulnerable adult, or
- demonstrates a serious disregard of consequences of such a magnitude as to constitute a clear and present danger to the vulnerable adult's health, welfare, or safety
Neglect can result in permanent harm or disfigurement, or death.
Adults who are abused or neglected may suffer from:
- Bedsores or pressure ulcers
- Malnutrition, dehydration
- Repeat falls
- Fractures
- Poor hygiene
- Burns
- Welts
- Bruising
- Abrasions
- Lacerations
- Sprained or broken bones
- Head injuries
- Repeat injuries
- Unprescribed restraints
- Over-medication or under-medication
- Failure to diagnose or treat a serious medical condition
- Death
Laws exist to protect residents of these facilities from abuse and neglect, to hold facilities accountable, and to compensate victims and their families when abuse or neglect has occurred. That’s where we come in. If you believe that your loved one has been neglected or abused in a care facility, call us. SGB’s trial lawyers have decades of experience litigating cases against individuals and care facilities that abuse or neglect their residents. We know the law and the medicine in this complex area. We use leading national experts in the field to advise us. We know how to find the evidence to prove our case. We promise to show you and your family members the respect and attention you deserve.
There is no charge for us to review your potential claim. Our approach is to investigate your claim and help you determine the best course of action. Contact us for a free, confidential case review or call us at (800) 809-2234.