In the final stages of a person’s life, it is essential they feel safe and protected in their home. This is why nursing homes must live up to their responsibility of taking care of each one of their residents, known as their duty of care. The responsibility that a nursing home has to protect its residents against outside health, safety, and security hazards is a crucial part of this duty. Unfortunately, many cases of nursing home abuse involve staff members who abuse the residents.
Especially for a vulnerable population such as the elderly, it is critical that nursing homes provide the utmost protection for their residents. Often, residents cannot protect themselves and rely upon the staff of their home to safeguard them from any potential harm. If it can be proven that a home or its staff are negligent to this duty, and a resident is harmed as a result, legal action could be taken to compensate for the damages.
A Breach of Care Could Lead to Unsafe Conditions
Nursing homes are responsible for providing compassionate, responsive, and suitable protections to each of its residents. Attentiveness to security concerns should be of the highest importance for these facilities, considering the consequences of neglecting these concerns are significant. For instance, a Fort Lauderdale nursing home failed to recognize warnings of a threat against one of its residents and allowed an intruder to break in and assault a 95-year-old patient. This gross negligence is a sorrowing example of a significant breach of care that legal counsel could assist in bringing to justice.
What to do If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse
If you believe a nursing home has breached its duty of care by neglecting to provide security to a loved one, it is crucial to alert the authorities right away. An experienced nursing home abuse lawyer could also assist in bringing justice to the injured resident by helping gather evidence and expert witness testimonies to establish liability and provide the compensation they could be entitled to.
The lawyers at Domnick, Cunningham & Yaffa are experienced in representing victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. Our team has the resources and legal understanding of how to navigate these highly sensitive cases. Contact us today for a case consultation to discuss how our firm could help you or a loved one.