According to statistics, one of every eight Americans is over the age of 65 and two of every three senior citizens will experience physical or cognitive impairment (or both) in their lifetimes. One in three are expected to require nursing home care. Of those, more than half a million endure neglect or abuse every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
What Constitutes Elder Abuse and Neglect?
Elder abuse is typically defined to include intentional, knowing or negligent acts that cause harm or a serious risk of harm to at at-risk adult. The CDC lists six specific acts that qualify as mistreatment:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect
- Abandonment
Neglect is customarily characterized by a failure to act—typically a failure to meet the necessary needs of the resident/patient.
How Can You Tell If Someone Has Been the Victim of Abuse or Neglect?
Here are some of the telltale signs of nursing home or elder abuse and neglect:
- Repeated and unexplained injuries or regular visit to a doctor, nurse or other health care provider
- Withdrawal, loss of appetite, changes in mood or personality
- Unwillingness to see friends or family
- Bedsores or ulcers, poor hygiene, loss of weight
- Person wearing the same clothes at successive visits
- Changes in living arrangements or roommates
- Missing items or money
Your Legal Rights
There are a number of grounds upon which you can file a claim for elder abuse or neglect, including
- Carelessness in hiring, training, supervising or staffing
- Failure to provide reasonable care
- Failure to properly restrain or monitor
- Medication errors
Contact Our Office
For a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call us at 973-993-8787. We have office locations in Morristown and Newton, but will visit you in your home or the hospital, if necessary.
We take all nursing home neglect and abuse claims on a contingency basis. You will not incur legal fees unless attorney Popper recovers compensation for your losses.