No One Expects A Family Member To Suffer Elder Abuse

As the population of the United States grows older, more Dallas families are having to make the difficult decision to move their elderly family members into nursing homes. You may visit several of them before making a decision that you hope will mean that your loved one is taken care of to the same standards you would provide if you could. Regardless of how diligent you are, there is no guarantee that your loved one will not suffer from elder abuse.

Two of the most common complaints regarding nursing home residents are bed sores and falls. Some residents wander off because they are not being properly monitored. In most cases, if the staff members at nursing homes are following proper procedures established in order to protect residents, these incidents should not occur. These three causes of elder abuse are most often the result of negligence.

In other cases, the conduct of the staff at Dallas nursing homes either borders on criminal or is criminal. If residents are not provided their medications or denied proper nutrition, that is abuse. In some cases, residents are either physically or sexually assaulted by staff who have little regard for the fact that they are taking advantage of and injuring another, often helpless, human being.

Even if the elder abuse is not considered to be criminal, the conduct may still be considered negligent in a civil court action. The resident — or the family of a resident who died while in the care of a nursing home — may file a lawsuit seeking both monetary and non-monetary damages. In some cases, it is less about receiving financial restitution than it is about requiring a nursing home to make changes that will protect other residents from suffering.