Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Helping Victims Nationwide and Across Texas including Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio
As longevity increases, there are more and more seniors around for families and society to cope with. Although there are some lucky exceptions, most of the elderly will become more and more dependent as they age. Because of mobility impairment, incontinence, illness or diminished vision, hearing and/or cognition, they will need help with their daily routines, either at home or in a nursing or assisted care facility. Painful as this is to imagine for ourselves or our loved ones, even worse things can happen to the elderly. They can be, and too frequently are, neglected or abused. At Leger Ketchum & Cohoon, PLLC, our highly qualified nursing home neglect attorneys are experienced in defending the rights of the elderly and fighting for their rights to dignity and safety.
With offices located in The Woodlands, Dallas, and Boerne Texas, we are well-prepared to file civil lawsuits against those who abuse or neglect the most vulnerable among us. Fully committed to making sure the responsible party pays dearly for engaging in such abhorrent behavior, we have a strong track record of winning such cases. If you live in or need an attorney in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, or the surrounding areas, and a family member of yours has suffered the pain and humiliation of elder neglect or abuse, we are here to help.
Elder Neglect and Abuse Can Occur Anywhere
Taking care of a dependent adult is not an easy job in the best of circumstances. For professional healthcare workers, as well as relatives, the job is demanding and often frustrating. There is no excuse, however, for anyone to neglect or abuse a person who is defenseless. Unfortunately, elder abuse occurs far too often in hospitals, healthcare or assisted living facilities, and in patients’ own homes. Wherever your loved one is mistreated and whoever is guilty of the abuse, the nursing home neglect attorneys at Leger Ketchum & Cohoon, PLLC will investigate, gather evidence and witnesses, examine medical and routine care records, and get to the bottom of the problem.
Defining Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Neglect and abuse overlap because, although abuse is more aggressive and punitive, neglect can also lead to serious pain, debilitation, and even death.
Neglect is a breach of duty by the caregiver, meaning the failure to provide necessary goods or services. Not providing nourishment or hydration in a timely fashion, leaving the patient in an uncomfortable position, failing to attend to the patient’s hygiene, failing to give the patient proper medication doses or diaper changes — all of these types of neglect can have negative, even dire, consequences. Signs of neglect may be an unkempt appearance, dry skin and lips, diaper rash, disorientation, loss of weight, bedsores, or unexpected medical symptoms indicating under-or-overdosing of medication.
When patients can’t get a drink when thirsty, a snack when hungry, or toileted or changed when necessary, they experience a diminished sense of self-worth as well as physical discomfort. Being dependent on others for such basics is difficult enough without feeling helpless to get these needs met. Your loved one is entitled to live in a clean and safe environment, have personal hygiene needs met, be nourished and hydrated, be made as comfortable as possible, and to have some stimulating social contact. Neglect is a serious offense.
Abuse involves stronger intent and more direct confrontation. There are four types of elder abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, and financial.
- Physical abuse involves direct attacks, including slapping, scratching, pinching, kicking, or hair-pulling.
- Emotional abuse may include harassing, threatening, cursing, or otherwise verbally abusing the patient, making hostile gestures, or disparaging, belittling, or intimidating the patient. These behaviors are considered abusive even if the patient is unable to see, hear, or comprehend them. Emotional abuse can also take the form of isolating an older person from others and denying them social contact.
- Sexual abuse of the elderly, which seems unthinkable, is not as rare as you might think. Sexual harassment, coercion, and assault are, after all, about power, not lust.
- Financial exploitation involves the illegal use of the elderly person’s money and may include stealing cash, property, credit cards, or Social Security benefits, convincing the older person that you are “investing” for them, or any other type of corrupt financial actions designed to transfer funds to the abuser. Healthcare workers have also been known to convince patients to rewrite their wills, making their caregivers the beneficiaries.
If your loved one is being neglected or abused, you are his or her only hope. If you suspect mistreatment, you should contact the nursing home abuse attorneys at Leger Ketchum & Cohoon, PLLC immediately. We know how painful elder neglect and abuse is, not only for the patient but for the family members whose trust in compassionate caregivers has been so horribly betrayed. When you consult with our caring and capable attorneys, we will see to it that the situation is remedied at once and that you obtain the compensation you and your loved one deserve. Remember, you will not have to pay us any fee until we win your case.
Signs of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
As the protector of your elderly loved one, whether he or she is in the care of a home healthcare worker or is in a nursing or assisted living facility, you should be alert to signs of neglect or abuse. The more out of touch your family member is, the more it is up to you to pay attention to his or her physical surroundings, appearance, and behavior.
You should routinely observe the premises for any environmental hazards, such as poor lighting, slippery or dirty floors, rusted or defective equipment, unpleasant smells, windows that don’t open or close, and toilets or showers that don’t work properly. These are all signs that the maintenance of the facility is inadequate and possibly dangerous. Beyond this, you should be aware of changes in your loved one’s appearance or behavior, since he or she may be too frightened to report neglect or abuse, or too forgetful to remember it. The following are often signs of trouble:
- Sudden weight loss
- Bedsores
- Unexplained injuries, such as bumps, bruises, or cuts
- Dry skin (possibly due to dehydration)
- Untreated rashes, fungal infections, or other signs of medical neglect
- Increased withdrawal from social interaction
- Behavioral changes, such as increased irritability or rage
- Dirty or uncombed hair, being unshaven, having body odor
Contact Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Serving across Texas and Nationwide
If you are in the horrifying situation of realizing that your loved one has suffered elder neglect or abuse, it’s time to take action, not only to protect your family member, but to hold the person and facility or agency responsible for the abusive treatment accountable. When you contact Leger Ketchum & Cohoon, PLLC, you will receive excellent legal counsel from some of the best personal injury attorneys in Texas. We have a well-deserved reputation for providing efficient, responsive, effective representation and for obtaining the highest possible compensation for our clients. For a free initial consultation, give us a call at 832.764.7200, email us directly at info@lkclawfirm.com, or fill out our online contact form.