All too often, elderly people are the victims of nursing home neglect and elder abuse. Much of this comes from the fact that elderly people are not usually able to defend themselves as well as younger people. They may have health problems, or they may simply not be as strong as they once were.
Either way, too many people see elderly people as easy targets. This will likely not change, but the rate at which they are abused or neglected can still be lowered. Because so many elderly people are abused, the court system is seeing more cases of nursing home neglect and elder abuse. This does not mean that all elderly people can expect this kind of treatment or that all nursing homes are bad places, of course.
Most of them are completely safe and reliable places where the workers take very good care of the residents. Others are not. One simply has to investigate and see what can be found before placing one of their elderly relatives in a specific nursing home.
If, however, a person has been the victim of elder abuse or nursing home neglect, that person’s family will often call on the services of an elder abuse lawyer. These individuals work very hard to help people that are in nursing homes and other elder care facilities, as well as their families, to find proper compensation for what might have happened to them.
They go by many names, such as nursing home abuse lawyer or nursing home negligence attorney, but they are all interested in the same thing – protecting elderly people from abuse and neglect and getting compensation for those that have already been wronged.
They cannot always do this, because there can be exceptions to every rule. However, if there is a valid case of elder abuse or nursing home neglect, an elder abuse lawyer can usually take the case to court or get it settled out of court in a way that will be the most fair and just for his or her client.
By allowing a nursing home abuse lawyer to take a case, a person is acknowledging that he or she believes an elderly person has been mistreated and that something should be done about that. As long as there is enough evidence, a nursing home negligence attorney will usually take the case, and this can help not only the person that was being mistreated but many other elderly people as well.
Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma, maritime injury, and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com
Elder abuse is defined as the negligence, mental, physical, financial or sexual abuse of seniors. Other abuses that take place are abandonment, isolation and neglect of a person who is frail and are less likely to be able to defend themselves. Thousands of vulnerable adults are assaulted and taken advantage of every day in the United States.
The best way to find an outstanding elder abuse lawyer is NOT by simply searching on the Internet. It is definitely not a wise decision to hire a lawyer just based on information you find on the web. Instead, you should use the services of a local lawyer referral service. For example, a Los Angeles lawyer referral service is the best way to go if you live in the area of Los Angeles. You should be looking for a Los Angeles elder abuse attorney and the best way to find one is through a local lawyer referral service. A local lawyer referral service can help you find a good local lawyer that that specializes in i.e. elder abuse claims.
A lawyer referral service helps in recommending lawyers to aid clients as they prepare to bring lawsuits (i.e. against perpetrators who abuse seniors). A lawyer referral service in Los Angeles will show you how to locate a good Los Angeles elder abuse lawyer to win the elder abuse case. Local is the key!
Elder abuse takes place in institutional settings or any place where a senior lives. Abuse can take place in a nursing home or in a family home by a family member. Preventing elder abuse can be as simple as knowing the signs of elder abuse, speaking up and report abuse to the proper authorities. The warning signs can be bruises, scratches or inappropriate use of physical restraint or medications. Poor hygiene, the senior being withdrawn, malnutrition, dehydration or medical conditions that go untreated are a few warning signs that family and caregivers need to be aware of.
Unusual bank activity, taking or retaining money and property that belongs to the dependent adult is financial abuse. This often happens when there is no power of attorney and scam artists take advantage of the situation. This can be done through threats of bodily harm or making promises that will not be kept by the perpetrator. In the case of physical abuse, the lawsuit will be against the person or institution that committed the abuse. If the lawsuit is financial then the goal will be to recoup financial losses. The caregiver of the elder who is being abused will be responsible for hiring of a good lawyer.
The term personal injury describes injury to the mind, emotions or body. It is a legal term and is different than injury to property. It will be important to prove negligence so that the highest allowable compensation will be awarded.
It is important to choose the most appropriate lawyer to present your case otherwise your chances of a positive outcome will be marginal. This is how to hire a good elder abuse lawyer in the Los Angeles area. Use the services of a Los Angeles lawyer referral service, let a professional organization find you the best lawyer for your case who specializes exactly in elder abuse law and is located in Los Angeles. There are several important steps that you do not want to do alone, especially if you have no experience in how to find a good lawyer for your case. The service of a lawyer referral is usually 100% free to the client.
If you need more information on how to hire a lawyer (i.e. an outstanding elder abuse lawyer) make sure you read these 5 Golden Rules at www.higherlegal.com.
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Los Angeles, CA 90067
Tel: 310.203.8888
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Understanding Elder Abuse
Kanshi Ram , a homeless,
From: New York attorney Gary E. Rosenberg (personal injury and accident attorney and lawyer; serving Brooklyn Queens Bronx; Brooklyn Accident Lawyer) My friend’s mother passed away at home recently. Now this is not one of those tales of a senior citizen beaten or hurt or injured by a her home health care givers. This story presents a different kind of horror, one of theft. There are many ways to cheat the elderly, and some are legend. There’s the young woman who pretends a romantic interest to obtain an older man’s home and money; older homeowners ripped off by home-improvement con men; and elderly people who may sign papers without understanding them, permitting his or her bank account to be emptied by a new “friend.” Many of these crimes go unreported. In the case of my good friend’s mother, she was robbed, pure and simple. She was cleaned out. All her jewelry taken. Even stolen was a bottle of perfume that my friend had bought his mother for Christmas. Was she robbed before she died, or after she was taken to the hospital where she quickly passed away? More than one care giver had her keys, and that presented a problem. Unless caught red-handed, these crimes are near impossible to solve. My friend’s mother had lovely jewelry, and she even had a safe. But she was old and her hands unsteady and vision poor, so she couldn’t be bothered putting away her valuables and taking them out to wear. She was unwilling to give them to her children to safeguard because, well, these were her possessions and she wanted them and their memories around her, even though her daughter and granddaughter lived nearby and visited her almost daily. So what to do? How do we protect senior citizens or the vulnerable from abuse and theft? If you hire a home health aide through an agency, make sure it conducts background checks of its employees. If you hire privately, there are ways to conduct your own criminal background check – just look in the telephone book. One can install video cameras in the house with an Internet feed to watch that the older loved one is not abused or robbed. But people tend to keep their valuables in their bedroom, and no older person trying to live at home to retain their independence is likely to consent to that level of invasion of privacy. There is no simple answer, except, perhaps, increased vigilance. For more information, contact the New York State Office for the Aging Senior Citizen’s Help Line at 1-800-342-9871 or go to its website: www.aging.ny.gov
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Elder abuse is defined as mistreatment or improper treatment that includes physical, sexual, emotional abuse or confinement. Neglect is broader and includes self neglect, which is more common than one would think. Neglect includes not giving proper attention to a person who needs assistance, such as leaving a person unattended who needs care. Self neglect occurs when an individual does not care for their physical or medical needs. Financial exploitation also falls under these categories.
Self neglect occurs in about 48% of cases reported to county social service agencies. Psychological, emotional and physical abuse by family members constitutes 20% of the cases and 13% is represented by financial or material exploitation. (Source: Olinger, David. Elderly Abuse Rising Statewide. Denver Post, 1/23/2005 p. 1a, 8a.). It is surprising to find that family members represent the main source of financial exploiters.
The abuser is most often a family member living with the older adult: 32.5% child, 19.2% other relatives, 14.4% spouse. (Totara, 1993). Many times, the abuse is accepted by the family as a normal way of life and is not seen as a problem. The abuse normally results from a long term abusive relationship. The victim is usually dependent on the abuser for care and assistance.
In cases where the mature adult has Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia abuse is most common. The demands on the family caregiver are substantial, especially when the older adult cannot be left alone and there are few others who can assist. It is in many of these cases when a child moves in to take care of a parent that financial abuse occurs because the child becomes dependent on the income of the parent. In many cases the family caregiver suffers from depression and other chronic health issues. While this does not excuse the potential for abuse, it offers a basis to educate family caregivers on the need to seek outside assistance.
Self abuse, the most common form of neglect also occurs more frequently in mature adults with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. These individuals fail to perform daily activities of hygiene, nutrition and medication compliance and housekeeping because of advanced cognitive impairment. If no children or family members are available, the individual becomes isolated and falls within the cracks of society with no one noticing the self neglect until an event occurs where the mature adult becomes lost, has a house fire or has an interaction with a neighbor who reports the individual to county social services.
As the number of mature adults increases in society, those who come in contact with individuals who may be suffering from neglect or self abuse have a duty to ask questions in order to offer protection to those who may not be able to care for themselves.
Pamela D. Wilson is a care navigator supporting mature adults and their family members with health care and related decisions. Visit Pamela D. Wilson, Inc. at http://www.pameladwilson.com
No one wants to have to deal with an elder abuse lawsuit. They can become time consuming and upsetting, not to mention the emotional pain of knowing that one’s loved one was entrusted to someone else who then mistreated him or her.
However, sometimes the hiring of an elder abuse lawyer is necessary, especially in cases of nursing home neglect and other abuse problems. One of the best ways to avoid the need for a nursing home negligence attorney is to be very careful in one’s choice of nursing home. This does not mean finding the most expensive one, as that does not always mean that everything is wonderful there.
Instead, it means doing one’s homework to ensure to the best of one’s knowledge that the nursing home or other elder care facility being considered has never been sued by a nursing home abuse lawyer. This information should be public record and available to anyone that is interested in placing a family member in that facility.
However, if one finds that, despite one’s best efforts, an elderly relative has been the victim of elder abuse or nursing home neglect, there are things that can be done. An elder abuse lawyer will be able to help with any lawsuit or other necessary legal action, and these individuals can also do a great deal to help ensure better compensation and more justice for a person that has been wronged.
Naturally, money is not the only concern when someone has been the victim of elder abuse or nursing home neglect. Hiring a lawyer can bring to light problems with a nursing home or other elder care facility that will force that facility to make changes, thus protecting the welfare of others in the future. This is one of the most important things that a person can do for other elderly people in that home, and this can only be accomplished through the hiring of a nursing home abuse lawyer or nursing home negligence attorney.
This individual can help provide monetary compensation plus safety and security for the wronged person and other residents of that nursing home, allowing for meaningful changes and protection for a lot of families.
In addition to that peace of mind, the monetary compensation collected for a wronged party by an elder abuse lawyer can help take care of any medical bills or other problems the person acquired as a result of the abuse or neglect and provide some peace of mind for the family.
Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma, maritime injury, and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com
When an elderly person has been abused, the family naturally wants to take action to ensure that it does not happen again, to stop it from happening to other people, and to receive compensation for the pain and suffering that was caused.
However, knowing how to go about doing this can be complex, and it usually involves finding the right lawyer for an abuse of the elderly case. This can help to make sure that the compensation received is fair and just, and that the abuse is stopped. Not that many people think about elder abuse, but it is a problem today that is all too common. Between abuse and nursing home neglect, many cases are tried each year in the nation’s courts. This is an unfortunate trend that many people wish to get stopped.
It is not always easy to find the right elder abuse lawyer. There are many competent attorneys working today, and determining each one is right for a specific case can take some work. Even an elder abuse lawyer that has just as much education and experience as a similar nursing home negligence attorney will not necessarily have the same skill set and the same type of personality.
One of these individuals might be better suited to a specific case than another one, depending on what is needed, where the abuse occurred, and the way that the case needs to be handled. Because of this, a person who feels that he or she has an abuse of the elderly case must work to find the elder abuse lawyer that will provide the best solution during that time.
A nursing home abuse lawyer or a nursing home negligence attorney can be a great choice, but not all abuse takes place within a nursing home setting. Sometimes, an elder is abused in his or her own home by a friend, relative, or home care worker.
In cases of abuse that are not tied to a nursing home, an elder abuse lawyer would be the best choice, because these individuals handle all types of abuse, not just cases that involve nursing home neglect and abuse. In addition to finding the right type of lawyer, the skills, experience, and education of an elder abuse lawyer are all very important.
These issues should all be looked at, and the individual that is considering hiring an elder abuse lawyer will want to take that person’s personality into account, as well.
Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma, maritime injury, and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com
Stopping elder abuse and nursing home neglect is important, but a lot of people either do not know how they can help or they are too reluctant to get involved in doing anything.
This can come from not having much time, or it can come from the idea that it is not their business. If an elderly person is being abused or mistreated, however, it is everyone’s business. These people deserve the same fair treatment that anyone else receives, and they should not have to fear being victims of nursing home neglect or elder abuse.
Much of this can be stopped before it starts by thoroughly researching a nursing home and ensuring that the facility has not been in trouble for any kind of abuse in the past or had complaints lodged against it. Unfortunately, this does not guarantee that there will never be a problem there.
If a problem with nursing home neglect or elder abuse does occur, it may be necessary to hire an elder abuse lawyer to protect the rights of the injured party and to receive monetary compensation for the damage that was caused.
Naturally, it would be better never to have any need for attorneys and never have to worry about problems like abuse and neglect. Because the world is imperfect, however, there are many times when lawyers are needed.
Anyone who thinks that his or her loved one is being abused or neglected should certainly speak up so that the elderly person can be protected and the facility can be investigated. When people turn their backs on this kind of abuse, and decide not to hire a nursing home negligence attorney, the abuse and neglect simply continues, making the chances for other elderly people to experience the same kind of abuse even higher.
When a person decides to hire a nursing home abuse lawyer, he or she is taking an important step toward ending abuse and neglect of elderly people everywhere.
This is due to the fact that nursing homes and other elder care facilities that are caught abusing and neglecting residents should be punished. If they do receive punishment, other facilities will take note of that and realize that they cannot risk allowing those kinds of things to happen.
They must take very good care of their residents in order to avoid the attention of an elder abuse lawyer. When they take this to heart, the residents in their care are treated better and everyone wins.
Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma, maritime injury, and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com
All too often, people do not recognize the signs of elder abuse. Much of this comes from the fact that a lot of elder abuse is mental or emotional, instead of physical. When abuse takes place this way, people often do not notice it because they do not see active proof of it, such as cuts, bruises, or other problems.
Instead, they might think that the elder abuse that the person speaks of is a figment of his or her imagination, that it is not real, or that it is being made up because the elderly person does not want to be in the nursing home or other location where the abuse allegedly takes place. In other words, the elderly person might be making up the abuse to try and remain home with family, instead of being placed in an elderly care facility. This is sometimes done by elderly people as punishment directed at their children and grandchildren.
However, it is important to remember that elder abuse cases are very real. Even if the signs and symptoms of it have been overlooked for a long time, it is never too late to do something to help the elderly person. If abuse or nursing home neglect is suspected, an elder abuse lawyer can be contacted. This individual can take the facts and the suspicions and determine whether the elderly person and/or his or her family have a case for abuse.
A nursing home abuse lawyer would be able to more thoroughly investigate the nursing home or facility in question and make a good determination as to whether nursing home neglect or abuse was taking place there. In addition, a nursing home negligence attorney could also help the wronged individual recover damages and therefore receive some compensation for the pain and suffering that he or she had to endure.
Naturally, not all cases of abuse or nursing home neglect require an elder abuse lawyer, because not all of them turn out to be what they seem. Sometimes, what is thought to be abuse or neglect actually is not, because the individuals involved in it did not do anything that broke the law. Accidents can happen, and one accident does not make a case for abuse.
However, a nursing home negligence attorney or similarly-designated lawyer should be called for cases that are obviously abuse, or for “accidents” that seem to keep happening, suggesting that there might be an ongoing pattern of abuse that has been overlooked in the past.
Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma, maritime injury, and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com
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