Dearborn Nursing Home Neglect Attorney
In 2017, a staggering 64 percent of nursing home staff members admitted to abusing residents. Two years later, in 2019, one in five emergency room visits among nursing home residents could be definitively attributed to abuse or neglect. An older Michigan State University study reported that one-quarter of nursing home residents reported physical abuse by a staff member. Since abuse and neglect of seniors in nursing homes is not reported in many cases, it is difficult to know just how deep the problem really goes.
Abuse and neglect are committed against vulnerable elders in nursing homes who are unable to protect themselves due to advanced age, or mental and physical impairments. Abuse is harm or threatened harm caused by another person, while neglect speaks to the inability or failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care, or a safe environment. If your loved one has suffered neglect or abuse, you need a strong nursing home abuse attorney to help you through this difficult time. Attorney Dan Makled understands the situation and can help you make the best decisions for your loved one.
Why Choose Dearborn Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Dan Makled?
Finding out that a beloved relative has suffered abuse or neglect while in a Dearborn nursing home can be devastating. Because this is something you could never have imagined, you may have no idea how to react to the situation. Perhaps you are certain that your loved one has been abused or neglected but you have no concrete proof. You need an attorney who has a comprehensive understanding of nursing home neglect and abuse—and who knows the exact steps that must be taken to protect your loved one. That attorney is Dan Makled. Choosing the Dan Makled Law Firm is the soundest decision you can make during this difficult time.
Attorney Dan Makled will meet with you, listening closely to your story. He will then help you determine whether the situation is critical (and your loved one should be removed immediately), or whether there is time to fully investigate, perhaps speaking to the nursing home administrator about your concerns. Your course of action will depend on a number of things; we will clearly outline your options, then help you through each step of the process. The Dan Makled Law Firm has achieved multi-million-dollar results and we always prepare each case in a comprehensive manner that ensures success whether a settlement occurs, or we go to court.
What Are the Signs of Nursing Home Neglect?
There are many different signs of nursing home neglect, as well as many different types of neglect. Medical neglect occurs when a nursing home staff member fails to meet a resident’s health care needs. Failure to administer medications as directed, improper care of a health issue like diabetes or dementia, failure to report signs of infection or illness to medical professionals, and failure to move seniors with mobility issues on a regular basis are all forms of medical neglect. Social and emotional neglect can occur when residents are prevented from interacting with one another or engaging in social events at the nursing home.
Residents who are accidentally isolated, those with mobility problems who are not provided with canes, wheelchairs, and walkers, or those with severe mobility or mental issues that are not regularly moved all suffer from social/emotional neglect. Neglect can come in the form of failure to provide basic living needs. When seniors are not provided with adequate food and water, must live in unclean areas, are not provided with clean clothing and bedding, or must live in nursing homes that are too hot or too cold, their basic needs are not being met. When the personal hygiene of residents is neglected, their health suffers, and in extreme cases, death can result. Warning signs of nursing home neglect might include:
- Bedsores
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Untreated medical conditions
- Bruising or burns
- Insomnia
- Significant personality changes
- Personal hygiene issues
- Other unexplained injuries
What Are the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse is even more serious and can include actual assault—kicking, slapping, punching, pinching, shaking, beating, or threats to do any of these acts. Unreasonable physical restraint or seclusion is also considered abuse, as is the use of a physical or chemical restraints or psychotropic medication for any purpose that is inconsistent with the doctor’s orders for the patient. Signs of physical or mental abuse include:
- Severe dehydration
- Recurring infections
- Falls, fractures, or head injuries
- Agitation, or being extremely withdrawn or non-communicative
- Instances of wandering
- Severe malnutrition
- Pressure ulcers
- Rapid weight loss
- Reluctance to speak to family members, particularly in front of staff members
- Unexplained injuries
- Heavy medication or sedation
- Unsanitary or unclean conditions
- Sudden changes in the resident’s behavior like rocking, fear of being touched, biting, etc.
- Wanting to be isolated from others
- Sudden, unexpected death
- Frequent illnesses
What Should You Do if You Suspect That a Loved One Was Wrongfully Killed in a Nursing Home?
It is important to know the signs of a suspicious death in a nursing home. If your loved one’s health declined quickly and dramatically, this may be a reason to suspect a suspicious death. If you suspect the death was from neglect or abuse, it is time to speak to a knowledgeable nursing home neglect attorney from the Dan Makled Law Firm. We can help you gather evidence about the suspicious death and investigate the death of your loved one. If the nursing home is responsible for the death, the police may need to be notified.
Your attorney can evaluate the entire situation in a comprehensive manner, then help you file a wrongful death claim. Even if the nursing home claims your loved one died of cardiac arrest, if your gut tells you there is more to it than that, we can help you investigate and find out the facts surrounding the death. If neglect or abuse contributed to the death, we will help you through the process of notifying the proper authorities and filing a claim. As your nursing home neglect attorney, we will get answers to the following questions:
- What medications was your loved one taking prior to his or her death
- Did your loved one appear malnourished or dehydrated?
- Is the facility typically clean and well-kept?
- Did you ever notice the staff treating patients unkindly, or neglecting them
- Were there ever unexplained bruises, cuts, or restraint marks on your loved one?
- Did the doctor see the body prior to filling out the death certificate?
If your attorney determines the death of your loved one is suspicious, you may have grounds for a case against the nursing home, those directly responsible for the death, or the administrator.
Can I Sue for Nursing Home Mistreatment?
Abused and neglected victims who are residents of a nursing home can file a civil lawsuit against the nursing home, the employees of the nursing home, or the administrator if their negligent or reckless actions resulted in harm. The victim or surviving family members can seek compensation for the following damages:
- Hospitalization and other medical expenses
- Rehabilitative therapy costs
- Diagnostic expenses
- Prescription drug expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anxiety
- Emotional harm
- Punitive damages if the nursing home’s behavior was egregious enough
Your Dearborn nursing home neglect attorney from the Dan Makled Law Firm can help you show the nursing home was negligent in the care of your loved one and that negligence caused injuries or death. Perhaps the nursing home staff failed to properly supervise and prevent a fall, did not ensure your loved one received sufficient nutrition and hydration, failed to ensure your loved one was given prescribed medication, or developed an infection due to lack of hygiene and failure to meet basic needs.
The medical staff could have acted even more maliciously or deliberately, by abusing your loved one physically and or emotionally. Having a highly-skilled, experienced nursing home neglect attorney from the Dan Makled Law Firm ensures that whatever the situation, you and your loved one will have the time to recover from the abuse or neglect—or grieve from a death caused by abuse or neglect—while we take care of the legalities. Attorney Dan Makled will fight for your rights and those of your loved one every step of the way. While nothing can change what happened, a settlement holds those responsible for the abuse accountable.
How Dearborn Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Dan Makled Can Help
When you find out a loved one has experienced nursing home neglect, finding a nursing home neglect attorney may be the last thing on your mind. Once you realize the implications of the neglect—both short and long-term—you realize you need a strong legal professional in your corner. Attorney Dan Makled strives to build strong relationships with every client, providing quality service every step of the way. At the Dan Makled Law Firm, we are driven by our passion to help those harmed through negligence, including victims of nursing home abuse and their families. Contact Dan Makled Law Firm today regarding your nursing home neglect case.
