Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf is a nursing home neglect law firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that may be able to assist you and your family if you suspect that your loved one was neglected in a nursing home. Our attorneys can review your case, review the evidence, and help you understand your options and rights. Families may have the right to seek damages from a nursing home that fails to honor its caretaking obligations. When you place a loved one in a nursing home, you entrust your loved one’s care to the nursing home facility. You trust that the nurses and caretakers will feed, bathe, and provide for your loved one’s physical and emotional needs. You also rely on nursing home caretakers to ensure that your loved one takes medications as needed and gets medical care when needed. Families also rely on nursing homes to be sanitary and safe, free of hazards and risks that can hurt your loved one.
If you believe that nursing home neglect resulted in the death or injury of your elderly or disabled family member, you may have the right to seek damages from the nursing home. However, you may only have a limited amount of time to do so under the law. Contact the nursing home neglect lawyers at Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf in Baton Rouge, Louisiana today to learn more about your rights and to learn more about how you may be able to seek justice for your loved one.
Warning Signs of Nursing Home Neglect
What are some warning signs of nursing home neglect? If you suspect that a loved one is being neglected in a nursing home, your first priority should be to help get your loved one to a safe caretaking situation. You can also reach out to the nursing home neglect lawyers at Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf to help you with your case. Here are some warning signs of nursing home neglect:
- Poor Hygiene. If your loved one hasn’t been bathed or is dirty, this could be a sign of nursing home neglect.
- Unsanitary or Unsafe Living Conditions. The nursing home should be in good physical condition, with clean floors, clean living areas, and areas free of hazards or risks to elderly or disabled residents. Bathrooms should have proper grab bars and floors should be free of liquid or tripping hazards. Families visiting their loved ones should check the living quarters for fire hazards, tripping hazards, and other risks.
- Inadequate Staff. Nursing homes are required to meet minimum staffing requirements. Louisiana regulations indicate that nursing staff should be able to provide 1.5 hours of care for each patient per day, and a licensed nurse should be on duty to supervise care staff. Staff ratios will depend on whether the staff is present in the daytime, the nighttime, and other factors. If you are concerned that staff might be overworked, you may want to look more closely into whether the facility is following the law. Signs that staff may be overworked or spread thin can include issues where staff isn’t available to answer the phone when you have questions, issues where staff isn’t available to care for your loved one’s needs when he or she needs assistance, or signs of neglect.
- Improper Safety Procedures. In the current era of the coronavirus pandemic, staff have an added responsibility to mitigate the spread of infections and to keep areas clean. They have a responsibility to wash their hands and to isolate individuals with suspected Covid-19 infections.
- Negligent Hiring. Nursing homes have a responsibility to hire staff who have a good track record of caring for patients and who do not have a history of physical, verbal, or sexual abuse.
- Medical Care. Nursing homes also have a responsibility to connect their residents with medical treatment when they need it, to make sure that residents take their medications, and to follow up for medical care.
If you suspect that your loved one isn’t receiving adequate care at his or her nursing home, you may want to find a safer situation first and help your loved one get the medical care he or she needs for injuries or illness due to neglect. You and your family may also be able to pursue a lawsuit against a nursing home that neglected your loved one. Do you have questions about your rights? Reach out to Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf, a nursing home neglect law firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana today. We are here to help you.
Nursing Home Neglect Justice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
If your loved one was hurt due to nursing home neglect, you and your family are understandably upset. The nursing home neglect lawyers at Miller, Hampton, & Hilgendorf in Baton Rouge, Louisiana are here to help you. We may be able to help you seek damages for your loved one’s injuries and pain and suffering.
