If you are unsure what kind of abuse your loved one has endured, you should still call a lawyer as soon as you can, and remove them from immediate danger.
Baltimore, MD – Nursing home abuse can touch one or multiple aspects of the resident’s life, warn lawyers. While some abusers will stick to one specific type of abuse (name-calling, hitting, stealing, etc.), some types of abuse can morph into others. This creates a problem for families since some types of abuse are more difficult to spot than others.
Below, we look at some of the lesser-known types of abuse that may occur in nursing homes. Terrible as sexual abuse or physical abuse may be, we are all familiar with both the signs of that specific type of abuse and the exact forms it takes. However, many people are not aware that abuse means so much more.
Duty of Care
According to Maryland law, nursing homes shave a duty of care towards their patients. If you suspect that a nursing home has failed to fulfill that duty of care and provide residents with basic standards of living, it may be time to contact knowledgeable Baltimore nursing home abuse lawyers.
Remember that duty of care also means the nursing home must act within a reasonable timeframe, if neglect or abuse is suspected, or discovered. Failure to do so, once more, means they have neglected their duty of care.
Lesser-known types of abuse
Nutritional abuse
Ensuring that residents have access to a varied and satiating diet is among a nursing home’s primary duties. In other words, it’s not enough to simply provide residents with food, but with a varied diet to suit their specific needs, and medical conditions, and to promote healthy living.
Along the same lines, nursing homes have a duty to provide residents with access to vital hydrating fluids to stave off dehydration. Failure to do either of these may fall either under neglect, or abuse (if the food/water was intentionally withheld).
Sadly, this type of abuse is harder to notice, say Maryland nursing home abuse lawyers. One common sign that a resident’s nutritional needs are being overlooked is rapid weight loss.
Hygiene/General abuse
Also often falling under neglect accusations, general abuse means the caregivers who are responsible for ensuring a decent standard of living and cleanliness are failing to do so. A resident in a nursing facility still has a right to be properly cleaned, exercised if necessary, and receive basic daily care.
A common sign of general abuse can be the appearance of bedsores. Although they may start out harmless enough, untreated bedsores can result in amputation and death, so keep an eye out, and contact nursing home abuse lawyers, if bedsores become a problem.
Medical abuse
Nursing home residents have a right to proper medical care, as their condition demands. And yet, there have been cases of residents receiving the wrong medication or the wrong doses, and even having unnecessary medical procedures performed on them.
This kind of abuse may also fall under medical malpractice, requiring you to hire medical malpractice lawyers, as they have more experience and they can put you in touch with independent experts who can verify your claims
If you are unsure what kind of abuse your loved one has endured, you should still call a lawyer as soon as you can, and remove them from immediate danger.
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