Fair Oaks Health Care Center provides a range of services to elderly individuals who require medical treatment and long-term care. You trust the staff at nursing homes such as Fair Oaks and believe your loved one will be in excellent hands. When nursing home abuse occurs, you can help secure your loved one’s safety and pursue financial compensation by hiring one of the Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys from Karlin, Fleisher & Falkenberg, LLC.
Nursing home abuse and neglect often occur when facilities are understaffed and hire poorly trained nurses. These facilities are responsible for keeping your loved one safe and ensuring employees follow state and federal regulations. Unfortunately, lack of supervision and funding leads to the abuse and improper care of far too many nursing home residents in Chicago.
The nursing home abuse attorneys at Karlin, Fleisher & Falkenberg, LLC will hold those responsible for your loved one’s abuse accountable for their harmful actions or inaction. We have the resources to thoroughly investigate your suspicions and develop a strong case on your loved one’s behalf. Even if you’re unsure if abuse occurred, don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your concerns. We’re here to offer guidance and help you understand your legal options. Call us today at 312-346-8620.
Forms of Nursing Home Abuse
Patients are supposed to receive a level of care outlined in the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. Health care providers and the nursing home facility must understand the rights of your loved one and make sure they are properly cared for.
When a nursing home fails to provide proper care to its residents, the following circumstances may occur:
- Bedsores
- Prescription errors
- Falls from lack of assistance
- Inadequate supervision
- Infections
- Improper medical care
- Inadequate protection from hazards
- Insufficient food and fluids
Nursing home abuse takes multiple forms. It isn’t just physical harm. According to the Center for Disease Control, six categories of abuse exist in nursing facilities: physical, sexual, emotional, financial, neglect, and abandonment. Recognizing the immediate signs could save your loved one’s life.
How to Identify Fair Oaks Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Determining whether abuse or neglect occurred is difficult if you don’t know the signs. Some signs aren’t as obvious as others. Many times, residents get hurt because of their own careless actions. To figure out the difference between an accidental injury and abuse, you need to learn to watch for signs of abuse and neglect, such as:
- Lacerations, bruises, or burns
- Fractured or broken bones
- Sudden weight loss
- Unexplained hair loss
- Dirty clothing or living quarters
- Poor hygiene
- Anxiety or fear around specific caregivers
- Depression
- The onset of motor impairments
- Change in finances
- Recurring injuries
Family members are allowed to pursue legal action against a nursing home if they believe there was abuse or neglect. Most of the time, elderly adults don’t report abuse for fear that their abuser will retaliate, or their family won’t believe them. Others don’t have the mental capacity to speak up and can’t physically defend themselves.
It’s up to you to advocate for your loved one, so they don’t have to suffer in silence. At Karlin, Fleisher & Falkenberg, LLC, we know how important it is for you to seek justice, and we will help you fight for it. You can depend on us to file a lawsuit and use our resources to win the maximum financial award owed to your loved one for their painful experience.
Damages Your Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Will Pursue
Any nursing home patient who sustains injuries because of abuse or neglect deserves monetary compensation for the expenses and losses they incurred. When you hire us, we will actively and aggressively pursue the following damages:
- Medical expenses: Past and future treatment necessary to heal or manage symptoms of the injury. Compensation also includes prescriptions, surgeries, and out of pocket costs.
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain resulting from an injury due to neglect or physical abuse.
- Emotional distress: Emotional pain, stress, depression, or another form of mental trauma experienced after any kind of abuse occurred.
- Loss of income: For immediate family members who were unable to work while caring for their loved one.
- Death benefits: If the victim of abuse dies, as a result, their loved ones can seek compensation for funeral costs and expenses related to treatment immediately before the death.
While the damages listed above compensate you and your loved one for your losses, there’s another type of damage that aims to punish the individual for their malicious or negligent actions. Punitive damages are a financial award determined by a jury if the case goes to trial. A jury will review all the details of the abuse and resulting expenses to decide if the victim deserves punitive damages paid directly by the liable party.
Proving Liability in Fair Oaks Nursing Home Abuse Cases
Nursing homes are liable for their actions as well as the actions of their employees. If abuse occurs and they attempt to hide it, they are responsible for failing to protect the victim. Their staff member is also liable for actually inflicting physical, emotional, or sexual harm against a patient.
When you’re attempting to prove negligence in a nursing home abuse case, it’s necessary to show at least one of the following circumstances existed at the time:
- The facility negligently hired a dangerous or unqualified employee
- The staff didn’t receive adequate training
- There was a lack of security afforded to the residents
- The nursing home didn’t implement rules and policies against abuse and failed to monitor its staff members
- Patients didn’t receive the necessary food, shelter, water, and medication
- There was a lack of essential medical treatment for elderly individuals
- Hazards or other dangerous conditions were not reported, removed, or fixed
Collecting evidence is vital when you’re trying to prove a nursing home or their staff was abusive or negligent. You should document your loved one’s injuries, request copies of employee records, and keep records of all medical care received. Sufficient evidence will establish liability and prove your loved one deserves compensation for their losses.
How Karlin, Fleisher & Falkenberg, LLC Can Help You
We know you care about your loved one and want them to receive proper medical care and respectful treatment from their caregivers. When someone uses their power to mistreat those most vulnerable to harm, it’s upsetting and infuriating. Our Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys will help your loved one recover and try to make sure they never suffer from abuse again.
Call Karlin, Fleisher & Falkenberg, LLC at 312-346-8620 today to find out how we can seek the full and fair compensation your nursing home owes your loved one.