People would like to believe that their relatives are safe in a Florida nursing home. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
According to the National Council on Aging, approximately one in ten Americans aged 60 and older have experienced some form of elder abuse. Similarly, the World Health Organization reports that about one in six people aged 60 and above have experienced some form of abuse in community settings in the past year.
Nursing homes in South Florida and beyond have a legal obligation to care for their residents, and they are paid to do so. Yet every year, our dedicated nursing home negligence attorneys file and settle new nursing home abuse lawsuits. Even if a nursing home resident is injured unintentionally, they still have the right to bring a lawsuit against the nursing home.
The Federal Nursing Home Reform Amendments, enacted in 1987, established several standards for nursing home care to ensure the well-being of residents.
These standards include:
- Comprehensive Resident Assessments: Nursing homes must conduct assessments of each residents’ physical, mental, and emotional health, including their daily living activities
- Nutritional Care: Nursing homes must ensure that residents’ dietary needs are being met
- Social and Recreational Activities: Facilities must implement daily activities that meet the interests and the physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of residents
- Maintaining Clinical Records: Nursing homes are required to maintain accurate and updated clinical records for each resident
These standards were designed to improve the quality of care in nursing homes and protect residents’ rights. If a nursing home fails to meet these standards, a resident can bring a nursing home negligence lawsuit against the facility for failure to properly care for them.
What is elder abuse?
Elder abuse can take many forms, including:
- Physical Abuse
- Dehydration
- Bedsores
- Sepsis
- Sexual Abuse
- Theft
- Over- or Under-medicating Residents
Sadly, nursing home abuse is all too common. To protect our elders, it is sometimes necessary to file nursing home lawsuits and claims against assisted living facilities. Whether you, your loved one, or relative has experienced nursing home neglect, elder abuse, or both in a Florida assisted living facility, the nursing home negligence attorneys at Mase Seitz Briggs in Miami, Florida, can help you to hold the facility and staff accountable for their actions. Contact us today for your free consultation.
