If you have a loved one in a nursing home, the last thing you want to consider is that your elder is being neglected or abused. But it happens more frequently than you might imagine.
Ways That a Nursing Home Covers Up Abuse or Neglect
The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is never easy. You want to feel confident that they are being well cared for. However, that is not always the case. Below are some ways a nursing home may cover up abuse or neglect.
Blaming the Resident
If your loved one is injured, the staff may try to blame them and say they weren’t following the rules or that they fell due to dementia or instability. Staff members may even blame the abuse on another resident. Therefore, it’s essential to watch out for new injuries and ask many questions.
Falsifying Paperwork
The nursing home management may encourage staff members to falsify documents claiming that staff performed routine checks and other duties as expected. They might backdate information if something was skipped or lie altogether.
Failing to Keep Up with Medical Records
Another telltale sign that your elder may not be receiving proper care is that their medical chart is not updated. It may indicate missed medications, skipped doctor’s appointments, and other signs of neglect or abuse.
Not Reporting Abuse or Neglect
Even though nursing homes are required by state law to report any abuse or neglect, often staff members are pressured not to report anything. As a result, nurses or orderlies may continue to do their jobs but fail to take proper action and report the nursing home for infractions because they fear losing their jobs.
Signs of Abuse or Neglect
If your elder shows signs of malnutrition, frequent injuries, infections, bedsores, or changes in their mood or behavior, investigate immediately. When abused or neglected, elders often become withdrawn, depressed, or anxious
Where to Turn for Help
If you suspect your senior loved one is being abused or neglected, contact Baron, Herskowitz, and Cohenitz is one the best medical malpractice lawyers in Florida. If you need free consultation, please contact us by filling the form and we will get back to you.
Entrusting your senior loved one to a nursing home can be an emotional decision. Choosing the right facility with good staff is critical. It’s important to understand that negligent hiring and supervision can lead to nursing home abuse which you want to avoid at all costs.
How Negligent Hiring and Poor Supervision Lead to Elder Abuse
Nursing homes are tasked with caring for elder Americans who cannot take care of themselves. However, improperly trained, or supervised staff members can lead to severe neglect and abuse.
Negligent Hiring Practices
It is the responsibility of the nursing home facility to vet nurses and other caregivers properly. If a person provides fake credentials and they cause problems, the nursing home may be liable. Therefore, it’s essential for management to perform a full background check before hiring anyone.
If a staff member with bogus credentials performs CPR on a patient and they die, it is an example of how negligent hiring could lead to abuse. Additionally, if someone without the proper training gives the wrong medicine or improper dosage, it could lead to an emergency situation or death. Someone with a history of mental health or behavioral issues would also be a risky hire for a nursing home.
Improper Supervision
Many facilities are short-staffed, and therefore, a stressed manager or director may make bad decisions in terms of staffing. A couple of examples are:
- Pairing employees who do not get along with specific patients could lead to subpar care or altercations, putting residents at risk.
- Allowing staff to self-supervise could lead to theft, fraud, and the mistreatment or neglect of residents.
- Ignoring reports of abuse between two residents, and then someone gets hurt.
Where to Turn for Help
Even if you vet the nursing home facility before placing your loved one in their care, things could still go wrong. If you suspect neglect or abuse and need help with your case, contact Baron, Herskowitz, and Cohen today for a free consultation. We care deeply about you and your family and want to help.
Sexual abuse is a serious crime with far-reaching consequences and long-term effects for victims. To learn more about the devastating crime of sexual abuse, consult the frequently asked questions below.
What is 1st degree sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse in the 1st degree is when someone forces another person to engage in sexual contact. First-degree sexual abuse also constitutes forcing someone to engage in sexual conduct when the victim is incapable of providing consent due to mental incapacity, physical weakness, is under the age of 12, or has a delayed development issue. Sexual abuse in the 1st degree also covers someone 21 or older who forces a 16-year-old to have sexual contact or engage in self-pleasure while a 16-year-old is present or watching. First-degree sexual assault is a Class C or D felony, depending on the victim’s age.
What 2nd degree sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse in the 2nd degree is when someone between the ages of 18-21 forces a victim who is younger than 16 years old to engage in sexual contact. Second-degree sexual abuse usually entails an adult who supervises young people, such as an employee of a juvenile detention center that houses kids younger than 16. It may also apply to a peace officer who abuses someone in their care or custody. Sexual abuse in the 2nd degree is a Class A misdemeanor.
What is 3rd degree sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse in the 3rd degree is when someone forces another person to engage in sexual conduct without their consent because they are underage (less than 16 years old). The abuser is between the ages of 14-18. This type of sexual abuse is classified as a Class B misdemeanor.
What is sexual abuse in a relationship?
Sexual abuse in a relationship is when one partner uses force, manipulation, or intimidation to control their intimate partner. It usually involves any type of unwanted or non-consensual sexual act or contact. Whenever a person coerces their partner to perform a sexual act that they do not want to, it constitutes sexual abuse. Relationship sexual abuse is more common than most people realize.
What causes sexual abuse?
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. Sexual abusers may victimize others for various reasons. Some of them were victimized or neglected as children and carry that trauma. Others may have unnatural urges or desires, and they act out their feelings by abusing victims. Some abusers suffer from undiagnosed and untreated mental illnesses. Most often, sexual abuse comes from a desire to have power over others. Whenever an abuser feels insecure about their own lives, they may abuse others to gain back a feeling of being in control.
When is it considered sexual abuse?
Whenever someone forces another person to have sexual contact or engage in sexual conduct of any type (even watching) without the victim’s consent, it is sexual abuse. Sexual abuse refers to any non-consensual sexual act between two or more people.
When to report sexual abuse?
Any victim of sexual abuse, no matter how young or old, regardless of the circumstances, should report it to the authorities and seek help immediately. The long-term effects of continued abuse may be challenging to overcome. However, the sooner the victim reports the abuse of sexual offenses, the sooner they can begin to heal.
Where to report sexual abuse?
Anyone younger than 18 (child sexual abuse or child molestation) should report the abuse to a trusted guardian or adult. Anyone over the age of 18 should report the abuse to local law enforcement. They can also contact RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the national organization designed to help victims report and recover from sexual abuse. They also have programs to help bring sexual abusers to justice. Call RAINN at Call 800.656.4673.
How can Baron, Herskowitz, and Cohen Help?
We have great experience in dealing with sensitive cases, and our lawyers are highly trained and have an understanding of the complicated law around sensitive topics like sexual abuse, molestation, child sexual abuse, child molestation, etc. If a victim or family member or a friend of a victim wants to approach us, please call us and ask for Jon Herskowitz.
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At some point in life, most people decide they need a life insurance policy to provide for loved ones after their passing. However, when that day comes, that last thing anyone expects is to have the life insurance company refuse to pay the death benefit.
What to Do if You are Denied Death Benefits
Death brings with it a lot of strong emotions. If you are a family member of the deceased and you are named the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, you have the right to claim those benefits. If you are met with delays or denial, it can significantly add to your stress and pain of the event.
You may not realize it but that these types of cases can quickly become complicated and difficult to resolve on your own. There are various reasons why a claim may be denied and the process of appealing can feel overwhelming.
Reasons for Life Insurance Denial
Some of the reasons why a life insurance company may deny someone benefits include:
Payment – If the policy dues are in arrears, a company may deny paying out the benefits. If the policy lapsed at any time and was never properly reinstated, then it was not legally in place at the time of death.
Misrepresentation – If the policyholder misrepresented any information on their application such as a health issue, smoking, or total income, the company might deny benefits on that basis also.
Outside of Scope – If the claim falls outside of the scope of the policy, then denial is probable. For example, if the deceased’s family did not claim benefits within the reasonable period (usually a few years after death), their claim may no longer be valid.
Suicide – If the policyholder takes their own life, it will invalidate the policy.
Illegal Act: If the person died while performing an illegal act, the policy will most likely be denied.
What to Do if You are Denied Death Benefits
The first thing you should do is secure legal counsel. Appealing a death benefits claim can be a frustrating and complicated process. You need someone with experience who can help resolve it efficiently.
Your attorney will help you gather evidence and provide proof while helping you contest the denial of your life insurance benefits. Your lawyer can help you navigate the legal system and, if necessary, take legal action against the insurance company if they still fail to honor the policy.
Life insurance companies don’t want to pay out big sums of money. If you have been denied your life insurance benefits, contact Baron, Herskowitz, and Cohen today for a free consultation and guidance.