Life expectancy is increasing every year. As seniors age, many become residents of nursing homes for medical reasons and social reasons. With quality care, seniors should be able to enjoy their lives into their 70s, 80s, 90s, and even their 100s. When nursing homes fail to make the care of their residents their top priority, residents may be abused by staff members of the home itself. Nursing homes should be held accountable when they fail to respect the rights of your parents and grandparents. They should be liable when preventable harm occurs.
At Telaré Law, our Kennewick nursing home neglect and abuse lawyers hold nursing homes accountable for placing profits before the health of your loved one. We fight for seniors because we understand that if one senior is being harmed, then many other seniors in the nursing home are likely being harmed too. Our lawyers understand that many seniors have difficulty speaking for themselves. That’s why our medical malpractice lawyers are honored to be the voice of your loved one – to say nursing homes need to vet their staff, have protocols in place to prevent abuse before it happens, and to respond immediately when it does. Lawsuits are the best way to send a message to nursing homes that abuse and neglect must stop –now.
There are numerous nursing homes in the Tri-Cities region. Every home should take proactive and responsive steps to prevent nursing home abuse. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), senior abuse is either an intentional act or a failure to act – that causes harm to a senior 60 or older or creates a risk of harm to the senior.
The CDC defines the types of nursing home abuse as follows:
Seniors who are being abused are often afraid to complain. They rely on family and friends to speak for them. Some of the signs of abuse that children, other relatives, and friends should look for include:
The sooner family and friends speak with our Kennewick nursing home abuse lawyers, the sooner we can take legal action to stop the abuse and protect your loved one.
Seniors have enough health problems when they are treated well. When nursing homes fail to provide quality care, a senior’s health difficulties can quickly spiral out of control. Injuries need to be treated as quickly as possible. Some of the injuries caused by nursing home abuse or neglect include:
If injuries are not treated in a timely and competent manner, a nursing home senior could die. In these tragic events, our Kennewick nursing home lawyers file wrongful death actions on behalf of the spouse, children, and any other residents who have a right to compensation.
Nursing home abuse in Southeast Washington is often due to one or more of the following reasons:
At Telaré Law, we work with nursing home professionals who understand everything nursing homes should be doing to protect their residents. We speak with the senior, other residents, and any witnesses. Our Kennewick nursing home lawyers discuss your senior’s claim with the treating physicians. We work aggressively to build as strong a case as possible.
There are numerous laws that protect residents of nursing homes. Some of these laws are:
Washington has a Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to advocate for nursing home residents and residents of other types of senior care facilities.
Often, the strongest and best way to hold nursing homes and staff members accountable is to force them to pay financial damages by filing a nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuit.
Nursing home residents, as set forth in state law, have numerous rights including the right to:
CMS also requires that nursing home residents be given a list of all their rights.
The life of a senior is precious. They have the right to enjoy every day they have left to the fullest. Our nursing home abuse lawyers demand compensation for:
If a nursing home knew of the abuse and failed to act, we file a claim for punitive damages. If your loved one succumbs to his or her injuries, we can file a wrongful death claim.
Telaré Law maintains an office in Kennewick at 819 South Auburn St. We also have an office in Richland. We meet with seniors at the nursing home or a family home when necessary.
Don’t delay. When nursing home abuse occurs, you need to move quickly to ensure the health of the senior and to ensure the abuse or neglect stops as quickly as possible. At Telaré Law, we only represent personal injury victims. Insurance adjusters for nursing homes understand that we are ready to take every case we handle to a jury trial. Our success in court is why we settle many cases.
To discuss how to hold nursing homes and staff members liable, call our Kennewick injury lawyers at 509-737-8500 or use our contact form to arrange a time to speak with us for free. We represent nursing home abuse and neglect victims who live in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, Walla Walla, Pullman, Othello, Moses Lake, Ritzville, and all Southeast Washington.