Houston Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Society entrusts nursing homes with the care and safety of the loved ones; and yet, the unfortunate truth is that some of them take advantage of the elderly patients they are supposed to care for. When you have suspicions that an elderly relative has been mistreated, neglected, or abused, then consulting with a Houston nursing home abuse lawyer should be your first priority.

A local personal injury attorney may be able to identify the type of injury and responsible parties, and potentially provide legal advice on how to win civil damages.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Many kinds of abuse can take place in a nursing home, for different reasons; and some may be more difficult to identify than others. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) treats elder abuse as a public health issue and has broken down the exploitation of persons over the age of 60 into five broad categories. These categories are:

• Physical: Pain, injury, or illness caused by an intentional physical act
• Sexual: Unwanted sexual contact, penetration, or contact
• Emotional or Psychological: Verbal and nonverbal abuse that causes fear, humiliation, or mental anguish
• Neglect: Failure to provide basic human needs
• Financial: Illegally using or taking the elderly individual’s money or property, or altering a will without permission

Any of these abuses could occur many different reasons, such as an intentional act by the staff, a defunding of the nursing home’s resources, or an act by another nursing home resident. A Houston attorney may be able to identify these problems and represent a nursing home resident in a claim against the facility.

Consequences and Potential Damages From Elder Abuse

At the most basic level, abuse or neglect of senior citizens could leave them in pain and in need of medical care. This could be expensive, especially if it requires ongoing medical care. These incidents can also cause immense psychological trauma or negative social developments. A nursing home patient could recover non-economic damages for these losses that do not have an easy dollar value attached.

Some seniors might not be physically or verbally able to communicate their distress or inform someone of abuse. It is vital to pay attention and look for any bruising or cuts that do not have a known source, as well as monitor them for signs of distress, such as certain behaviors if their potential abuser is in the room.

A staff member, resident, or visitor who intentionally assaults or otherwise harms a senior could face criminal charges. However, a claim for civil damages will occur independently of a criminal charge and is instead directed at the facility itself. A nursing home neglect lawyer in Houston could manage the legal hurdles of filing a claim.

Contact a Houston Nursing Home Abuse Attorney to Hold the Facility Accountable

Identifying if a loved one has been abused, mistreated, or neglected in their nursing home can often be difficult to confirm and a challenging subject to broach. If you have reason to believe it has occurred, a consultation with a Houston nursing home abuse lawyer may be able to provide some clarity on your case.

Local legal counsel could provide the experience and legal knowledge to give you confidence in pursuing a claim on behalf of the abused party. Call us today for a consultation and see what we can do for your unique situation.