Bowie Lack of Appropriate Care for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients Attorney

Negligence and abuse in nursing homes can occur in many forms. These are a few ways nursing homes can fail to provide the appropriate care:

• Inattentiveness: Dementia and Alzheimer’s patients need attentive care. They may struggle to feed or wash themselves without support. Inattentiveness can expose the elderly to poor hygiene standards or choking risks. Similarly, it may result in them not receiving the necessary medication.
• Financial abuse: Patients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s can’t advocate for themselves. A predatory nursing home employee could take advantage of their condition by illegally using a patient’s estate, funds, accounts, benefits, or personal belongings.
• Sexual abuse: Nursing home sexual abuse, while not common, can traumatize elderly patients. This despicable behavior is unfair, and facility staff should address it when it happens.
• General abuse: Nursing homes occasionally hire employees who are short on patience. Staff with short tempers could physically abuse nursing home residents. They may endure abusive behavior, including shouting, kicking, and threatening. Poorly trained or negligent nursing home employees may intimidate or humiliate the patients in their care.

These behaviors should be taken seriously. Your loved one deserves justice and a safe place to live. We can help you file a nursing home abuse lawsuit and seek justice for negligent behavior.

How Do I Know If My Loved One Is Suffering From Abuse or Neglect?

You can have a straightforward conversation with your loved ones to find out if there is anything amiss about their nursing home experiences. However, dementia and Alzheimer’s patients can be hard to reach. They may not know they are receiving inadequate care and they may not be able to remember or communicate an abuse situation. These signs might indicate their nursing home isn’t providing appropriate care:

• They appear afraid or act differently when certain staff members are nearby.
• Signs of physical abuse appear on their bodies, like bruises or scratches.
• They are visibly malnourished.
• Their medical conditions worsen after they enter a nursing home.
• The nursing home appears understaffed, or the staff appears too busy to pay attention to patients.

How Do I Prove That My Loved One Is Not Receiving Appropriate Care?

If you suspect your loved one isn’t receiving appropriate care at a Bowie nursing home facility, you can take a few measures to gather evidence:

• See if your loved one can tell you anything about their experiences.
• Talk to other residents and their families to see if they have noticed similar issues.
• Document your loved one’s injuries.
• Take photos of the nursing home, especially any obvious problems or violations.
• Arrive at the nursing home unannounced – this can provide you with insight into the facility’s everyday conditions.

Remember, gathering evidence is a sensitive process. Our lack of appropriate care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patient’s attorney serving Bowie can assist you with gathering evidence.  We can also answer your questions about nursing home neglect and abuse. 

Types of Compensation in a Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patient Case

Pursuing legal action could provide financial compensation that helps you and your loved one rebuild your lives. The categories of damages available in a nursing home abuse or neglect case include:

• Relocation expenses if your loved one must move to a new facility
• Pain and suffering
• Mental trauma
• Medical costs

Our attorney will review medical records, evidence, and other facts associated with your case and advise you of the best way to move forward.

When Do I Need to File a Lawsuit for Lack of Appropriate Care for an Alzheimer’s or Dementia Patient?

The statute of limitations for nursing home lawsuits in Bowie, Maryland, is typically three years. If you don’t file a lawsuit within this deadline, you risk losing your right to pursue compensation. Your case’s specifics can impact this deadline, too. It may be longer or shorter depending on the facts of your case. If you want to file a wrongful death lawsuit, you also have three years, per Md. Cts. & Jud. Proc. Code § 3-904.

Why Taking Legal Action Sooner Rather Than Later Is Better

Building a legal case takes time. The sooner you get started, the more time you and your lawyer will have to collect evidence and build your case. Evidence is indispensable. Without it, you can’t prove your loved one suffered abuse or neglect at a nursing home.

The longer you wait, the greater the risk of:

• Witnesses moving out of Bowie, which can complicate your case
• Witnesses forgetting what they saw or knew about your case
• The nursing home concealing evidence 

Contact Brown & Barron online today to schedule a free case review with a with a lack of appropriate care for alzheimer’s and dementia patients lawyer serving Bowie.