Abuse against an older adult in nursing homes and assisted living facilities can be a difficult situation to comprehend. People expect that their loved ones will be well cared for by care facility employees.
Unfortunately, elder abuse does occur. Whether it is caused by staff members, other residents, or visitors, your family may have a right to take legal action with help from a St. Petersburg nursing home abuse lawyer from our team at Distasio Law Firm.
Our firm operates on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there are no up-front costs to work with us. We have over 35 years of experience, and we’re ready to fight for you. Learn more about how our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers can help by contacting us for a risk-free initial consultation.
Why Hire Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in St. Petersburg, FL?
Our team at Distasio Law Firm has a vast amount of experience working with clients dealing with care home abuse. We are well-known for holding nursing homes accountable for their abuse and neglect, and send a strong message that their treatment of the elderly will not be accepted.
We vary the services we offer based on the unique needs of our clients. Depending on your family’s circumstances, we may focus on:
- Answering all of your questions
- Advising you about what to do next
- Gathering evidence to establish fault
- Keeping track of all of your family’s losses
- Helping with settlement negotiations
- Assisting if you need to file a lawsuit
We’re here and ready to offer the support your family deserves right now.
For a free legal consultation with a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer serving St. Petersburg, call (813) 259 0022
We Can Help with Abuse in a Skilled Nursing Home
Skilled nursing facilities provide 24-hour nursing care, therapy, and medical oversight. Under Florida’s Nursing Home Residents’ Rights and related regulations, facilities must maintain adequate staffing, follow physician orders, and protect residents from harm.
When a facility breaches its duties and harm follows, our skilled nursing home abuse attorneys in St. Petersburg can help you take action.
St. Petersburg Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me (813) 259 0022
The Distasio Law Firm Difference
Our team believes in putting clients first and taking charge. You can experience the Distasio Law Firm difference when you turn to us as we:
Use Our Knowledge to Support Your Family
We have a deep understanding of Florida nursing home law. We’ve handled many cases involving abuse and neglect, allowing us to confidently address the unique needs of your family.
Demonstrate Our Commitment to Caring for Clients
Our commitment to our clients has earned us high ratings in multiple independent rating systems. Our firm’s founder, Scott Distasio, earned the highest rating for ethics and ability from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
Scott Distasio also got Board Certified for Trial Law by the Florida Bar, an accomplishment earned by less than 1% of lawyers practicing in Florida.
Prepare Your Case for Trial
We can prepare your case as though it’s going to trial, even as we focus on negotiating with the liable party to potentially secure a settlement. As a board-certified civil trial lawyer, Scott Distasio and the rest of his team know what it takes to represent clients in court.
Contact us now to learn more about how we can help.
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Compensation Available to Your Family
Our nursing home abuse attorneys can focus on bringing your family compensation for your economic and non–economic losses. Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for funds to pay for:
- Your loved one’s medical expenses
- Your lost wages
- The pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish experienced by your loved one
We’re here and ready to track all of the losses faced by your family when you turn to us for dedicated support.
Time Limits on Abuse Cases
You have to move forward with a legal claim before the statute of limitations expires. Deadlines on nursing home abuse cases can vary based on the specifics of the situation. Our team can review your circumstances and give you information about the precise deadlines you face.
Once you turn to our team, we’ll do everything possible to keep your claim moving through the legal system and to minimize the time your family waits for compensation.
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What is Nursing Home Abuse?
According to Florida statute § 415.102(1), abuse is defined as “any willful act by a caregiver which causes or is likely to cause significant impairment to a vulnerable adult‘s physical, mental, or emotional health.” This definition includes both acts and omissions.
Abuse can happen in a variety of ways. Examples of elder abuse can include:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional or mental abuse
An experienced nursing home abuse lawyer in St. Petersburg will gather evidence and use it to hold offenders accountable.
We can get to work quickly when you reach out to us for help with your family’s needs. Allow us to provide the legal advice and support you deserve right now.
What is Nursing Home Neglect?
According to Florida statute § 415.102(16), neglect is defined as “the failure or omission on the part of a caregiver to provide the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the physical and mental health of a vulnerable adult, including, but not limited to food, clothing, medicine, shelter, supervision, and medical services.”
One of the most common forms of nursing home neglect comes from compassion fatigue, meaning that someone has become so accustomed to a situation that they have lost the ability to properly care for those involved. That type of neglect by the staff shows itself in the following ways:
- Failure to help with hygiene
- Failure to supervise residents who are at risk of falling
- Failure to change bedding
- Failure to change clothes
- Failure to feed the person
- Failure to hydrate the person
- Allowing incontinent residents to lie in their waste
Some examples of medical neglect may include:
- Failing to provide proper medical attention
- Failing to provide prescription medication
- Over-medicating a person
- Under-medicating a person
- Failure to diagnose symptoms
- Failure to treat evident symptoms
- Failing to send a resident to the hospital when symptoms warrant it
A St. Petersburg nursing home neglect attorney can’t change what happened in the past. However, by holding offenders accountable with a lawsuit, we can help prevent this type of abusive behavior in the future.
We’re here to handle abuse and neglect cases. Reach out to us now to get the support you deserve.
Under-Staffing Is a Root Cause of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Nursing homes may choose to understaff using a couple of different methods. One way is to purposely not hire enough staff to properly meet the necessities of the residents. Having fewer staff members on each shift results in less time to care for the residents.
Residents who require more care, unfortunately, end up receiving the least amount of help, if they are given any assistance at all. Re-positioning residents or even feeding them are examples of tasks that don’t get done. This is damaging to the health of the resident.
Another way that nursing homes choose to reduce staff costs is by hiring under-qualified employees, who cost much less than qualified professionals. Nursing assistants are sometimes hired to do the job of registered nurses. Because assistants are not experienced or trained to meet the demands of elderly residents, they often become neglectful and abusive.
Identifying Abuse and Neglect
Abuse and neglect of older people can be subtle and difficult to recognize. These are some signs of neglect or abuse that you should be aware of and not ignore:
- Unexplained bruises or other signs of physical harm
- Sudden changes in personality
- Fear of a caregiver
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Fainting, tiredness or other symptoms of malnutrition
- Unclean environment
- Injuries that cannot be easily explained
- The caregiver will not let you be alone with your loved one
- Withdrawal or depression
You can reach out to our personal injury team if you have reason to suspect that a loved one has faced abuse or neglect.
Injuries Associated with Abuse or Neglect in a Care Facility
Bed sores (also called pressure ulcers) are one of the most common injuries caused by abuse or neglect in a long-term treatment facility. These sores can develop when employees fail to properly move and tend to residents of a facility.
Other common injuries can include broken bones and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), often sustained when residents fall due to neglect or careless behavior from their caregivers.
Our team can discuss the injuries sustained by your loved one when you turn to us for help.
Finding the Right Facility
The best way to help ensure that your loved one doesn’t become a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect is to do your research before you place them. When evaluating possible facilities, these are things you should look for:
- Does the home appear to be clean?
- Are the staff knowledgeable and friendly?
- Are residents engaged in activities or are they just sitting around with nothing to do?
- Does the home have video monitoring in the halls and residents’ rooms (video monitoring assures that nursing home residents will be watched and others will be watched while interacting with the residents, which could prevent possible abuse)?
- Does the home have medical directors and physicians who supervise medical staff and the medical procedures residents receive?
- Does the home have licensed nurses and/or CNA’s on staff?
- Does the home employ enough staff to sufficiently provide for the care, treatment, and supervision of every patient?
- Are the physicians, supervisors, and administrators accessible and willing to address concerns?
- Have incidents of abuse or neglect occurred in the past, and how were they handled?
Spend time researching a facility before placing an elderly or impaired loved one. This will help to protect their well-being and possibly save a lot of heartache.
Prevent Nursing Home Abuse and Protect Vulnerable Seniors
Nursing home abuse is a serious problem that affects many elderly residents in St. Petersburg. You can take several steps to prevent nursing home abuse and protect vulnerable seniors. These steps include:
Researching Care Facilities
Families should carefully research and select a nursing home that has a good reputation for quality care and staff training. This can be done by checking state inspection reports and speaking to other families who have had experience with the facility.
Stopping Regularly to Check on Loved Ones
Regular visits and communication with the resident can help detect any signs of abuse or neglect.
Families should look out for changes in behavior or physical condition, such as unexplained injuries, weight loss, or emotional distress. If any signs of abuse are suspected, it should be immediately reported to the facility’s administration and relevant authorities.
Holding Care Facilities Accountable
It is important to hold nursing homes accountable for their actions by reporting any instances of abuse or neglect to the relevant regulatory bodies. This helps ensure that those responsible for abuse are held accountable and that measures are taken to prevent further abuse from occurring.
Call Our St. Petersburg Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Today
Talk to our team at Distasio Law Firm for cases involving abuse or neglect in long-term care facilities. We understand how complex these cases can be and will do everything in our power to ensure that you and your loved ones receive justice.
We offer a free case evaluation so you can share the details of your case quickly and easily. You should not have to deal with this difficult situation on your own, so please do not hesitate to call our office to learn how we could help you.
Our team can focus on your legal needs while providing the support and guidance you deserve.
Call or text (813) 259 0022 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form