The American population is aging rapidly. More than fifty-five million people in the country are older than sixty-five. Over sixteen percent of Louisiana’s population is over sixty-five. With this swelling number of older adults, there are greater demands for healthcare, in-home caregiving, and assisted living facilities.
Louisiana is one of the cheaper states to retire in the country. Louisiana has affordable monthly living costs for seniors compared to the national average.
Elders needing 24/7 supervision and care may consider living at a nursing home, where skilled staff provide residents with medication as needed, housing, personal care, maintenance, therapies and rehabilitation, and more. While nursing homes can be more costly, they are certainly worth it if senior care becomes too complex for a family/friend caregiver. In Louisiana, a semi-private room costs roughly $5,171 a month, while a private room costs about $5,475 a month.
What Is A Nursing Home?
A nursing home is a residential care facility for seniors or people with disabilities who don’t need a hospital but require more help than they can get at home.
About fifty percent of nursing home residents remain for at least one year, and twenty-one percent stay for about five years. Older adults who need to stay longer might face a long recovery or need ongoing supervision and support.
Nursing Home Services
The nursing home cares for all elderly needs — medical, nutrition, fitness, and social. Services vary from nursing home to nursing home, but here are some commonly provided services:
· Continuous supervision and on-site assistance
· On-site medical services
· Assistance with activities of daily living like grooming and bathing
· Shared or private rooms, depending on availability and your budget
· Nursing homes provide residents with meals, laundry, and housekeeping services
· Social activities like book or cooking clubs, crafting, game nights, and movie nights
· Outdoor and indoor senior-friendly exercise opportunities
· On-site religious services if you choose a religiously affiliated home
· Nursing homes assist residents to stay in touch with loved ones through video calls and visits
Nursing Home Negligence
When nursing homes fail to care for residents, they can be held accountable for the harm caused to the residents.
Nursing home negligence occurs when the inactions of staff members or employees of nursing homes cause physical or emotional trauma to elderly persons in their care.
If you believe that your loved one is receiving inadequate care at a nursing home due to negligence and carelessness of the nursing home staff and management, you should enlist the services of an experienced Louisiana nursing home negligence attorney to bring about a claim for negligence against the liable parties.
Negligence can take many forms in a nursing home, from failure to provide adequate treatment to not providing a healthy environment to its residents. Incidents of nursing home negligence rarely get reported to the proper authorities. Residents are reluctant to complain out of fear of retaliation from nursing home staff or embarrassment. Seniors are vulnerable and often unable to defend themselves. Many are too afraid to come forward when they become victims of neglect and mistreatment.
Nursing home negligence occurs when:
· The Nursing home (defendant) owed the resident (plaintiff) a duty of care.
· The defendant breached this duty.
· The defendant’s actions or failure to act was a proximate cause of injury to the plaintiff.
· The plaintiff suffered injuries.
Nursing homes have a duty of care towards their residents. They are required to maintain specific standards and procedures, including correctly assessing each resident’s health and catering to the residents’ basic needs. Each resident requires a personal care plan, which, if followed diligently, will help prevent injuries and ensure the residents are healthy.
Common Warning Signs Of Nursing Home Negligence
On visits to the nursing home, family members of residents need to look around and see if the premises are clean and safe. It is also important to observe whether other residents are healthy and cheerful. If you suspect that a loved one is a victim of negligence after being placed in a nursing home, then be sure to look at the following common signs:
· Mood swings and emotional outbursts.
· Lack of cleanliness and poor physical appearance.
· The senior is withdrawn or distant.
· Bedsores.
· The senior has experienced unexplained weight loss or weight gain.
· Chronic dehydration.
· The senior was in soiled diapers and garments for a long time.
· Frequent infections.
· Lack of timely treatment for continuous medical issues.
· Lack of compassion and attention from staff members toward residents.
If you notice any sign of nursing home negligence, you should do the following right away:
· Document what you witnessed. Write down the date, location, and time of the incident.
· Collect the names of the staff members present on duty at the time of the incident and the names and addresses of any outsiders in the facility who witnessed the incident. The testimony of witnesses is always crucial in deciding the outcome of such cases.
· Inform the authorities so they can carry out a full investigation into the incident.
If you suspect a loved one has been a victim of negligence while staying in a nursing home, you should first seek the best treatment for your loved one and then contact a Louisiana nursing home negligence lawyer who can quickly sort out your case and determine the future course of action.
In Louisiana, victims of nursing home negligence have only a year to lodge a civil lawsuit from the neglect’s discovery date.
Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers: Louisiana Lawyers Ensuring Quality Elder Care By Holding Nursing Homes Accountable for Negligence
At Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers, our Louisiana nursing home negligence lawyers seek maximum compensation for victims of nursing home negligence.
Victims can file nursing home negligence lawsuits against employees and the nursing home. Under the doctrine of Vicarious Liability, the nursing home would be responsible for the actions of its employees.
The lawyers at our Louisiana personal injury law firm know how to effectively deal with attorneys representing nursing homes and their employees and insurance companies.
Our Louisiana personal injury lawyers know how to obtain and review medical records and have access to the best expert witnesses. Most Expert witnesses in nursing home negligence cases have a medical background. They are nurses, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), doctors, surgeons, and other medical specialists. Other experts include neurologists, pharmacists, respiratory and rehabilitation therapists, and psychiatry or psychology experts.
The legal professionals at Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers will also gather and analyze the victim’s medical records, determine how the negligence occurred, assess the injuries sustained, identify liable parties, calculate total damages, and study internal nursing home records and staff records.
Louisiana personal injury attorney Bart Bernard not only recovers fair compensation but also empowers seniors to exercise greater control over their future, protect their interests, and ensure their wishes are respected.
If your loved one has been a victim of nursing home negligence in Louisiana, it is your moral duty to take action against the perpetrators of such neglect and bring them to justice. If the nursing home is found liable, you can recover compensation and damages on behalf of the victim. The victim may receive a settlement for future and past medical bills, including mental health and rehabilitation costs, financial losses, pain and suffering, emotional distress and mental anguish, and legal fees. Contact us at Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers today to learn how we can help you or the seniors you love.
