Get a Tampa Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer.
We handle cases involving serious injury and wrongful death
Making the decision to let someone else care for a loved one can be challenging, but when a nursing home or assisted living facility violates your trust and the person you care about suffers harm, it’s devastating. Your loved one deserves appropriate care and to be treated with dignity and respect. Sadly, nursing home abuse and neglect is becoming a widespread problem at facilities across the country. This is especially true in Florida, where we have a strong senior population.
Accidents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities happen all the time, but if you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected, you should trust your instincts. Maybe you are suspicious of injuries sustained in an “accidental” fall. It could be that your loved one has developed bedsores or sepsis. No matter what type of injury or accident you’re dealing with, protecting your loved one and getting to the bottom of what happened should be your top priority.
To report nursing home abuse or neglect, you may file a complaint with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration by filling out a form online or by calling 888-419-3456. You can file a complaint for neglect or other substandard care that doesn’t cause injury or illness.
If your loved one sustained an injury in a nursing home or you suspect they are being intentionally harmed by staff, it’s important to move fast. Stories can change, witnesses can disappear, and evidence can get swept under the rug.
Armando Personal Injury Law can help you get the justice your family deserves. Armando Edmiston is an experienced nursing home abuse attorney. He is familiar with all of the nursing home and assisted living facilities in the Greater Tampa Bay area, including Baywood Care Center, Noble Senior Living at St. Petersburg and Orchid Cove at Sarasota.
If a loved one has been injured as a result of abuse or neglect, attorney Armando Edmiston can help. He knows how to secure evidence, interview witnesses, and find out what really happened to the person you love. Then, he can take steps to hold the at-fault party accountable for their actions and demand appropriate compensation for your damages.
Common injuries seen in nursing homes
- Elopement injuries – Elopement is the unsupervised wandering of patients. Has your loved one been hurt trying to elope from a facility? We handle elopement cases and injuries suffered by loved ones in memory care units. Facilities often charge extra for special care and should be held accountable when they fail our loved ones.
- Slip and fall injuries – Seniors often have mobility issues and are at a higher risk of slipping and falling. This can lead to broken bones and other serious, sometimes fatal injuries. Nursing home facilities have a responsibility to take measures to prevent slip, trip and falls, such as providing adequate lighting, guardrails, walking aids and appropriate supervision.
- Bedsores – Residents can develop bedsores when they remain in the same position for too long, either in a wheelchair or a bed. Bedsores can become infected, leading to serious health problems such as sepsis. Nursing homes are expected to examine residents for signs of bedsores, move residents into a different position frequently and treat any bedsores promptly.
- Urinary tract infections (UTI) – Seniors who use catheters are especially at risk of developing a UTI. These injuries can be painful and distressing, and can get worse if left untreated, potentially leading to deadly complications like sepsis. UTIs in nursing homes are often the result of neglect, including poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions.
- Dehydration – One of a nursing home’s responsibilities is to ensure basic needs are met, including hydration. Dehydration can be a key warning sign of abuse, and seeing dehydration as a cause of death on a death certificate is a major red flag.
What should I do if I suspect nursing home abuse or neglect?
If you think a loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you should act quickly and:
- Get medical attention for your loved one – Their health and well-being is most important, so make sure they get examined by a licensed medical professional right away. They may have a serious and potentially fatal injury or condition, such as bedsores or sepsis. Injuries sustained in falls and other accidents can also be life-threatening if not properly treated. Remember to document any signs of nursing home abuse or neglect with photos.
- Report your concerns to administrators – Know the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect and report any concerns you have with an administrator at the facility. Make sure to document the visit. This is a crucial step, as it will serve as evidence that the facility was made aware of your concerns. Write down the name of the person you speak with, the date and time of the meeting, and what was said.
- Contact a nursing home abuse lawyer – If your loved one was injured or became ill in a nursing home, you need legal advice. An experienced nursing home abuse attorney can listen to you, answer your questions, launch an investigation, and file a lawsuit to get fair compensation for your family’s damages. If you suspect your spouse or parent died due to abuse or neglect at a nursing home, a lawyer may be able to help you pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.
How do I report nursing home abuse or neglect in Florida?
Elder abuse is a very serious crime, so you should make a report with authorities immediately. To report nursing home abuse or neglect in Florida, contact the Florida Department of Elder Affairs abuse hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873). You should also contact local police to make a report as well.
Once you’ve reported to the appropriate authorities, you should consider contacting Tampa nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer Armando Edmiston. Our law firm can help you through the whole process – every step of the way.
Let a Tampa attorney fight to bring you justice
When nursing homes and assisted living facilities violate your trust and injure or harm someone you love, your whole family suffers. That’s why you need an experienced and aggressive law firm to fast-track your case and demand justice.
We know how to hold them accountable. Attorney Armando Edmiston built his law firm by treating clients like family, so when you need help resolving a case that involves someone you love, your problems become our problems – and we can fight to fix them. Move fast to get answers and protect your family’s rights. Contact us today for your free case evaluation.