Bowie Abuse by Nursing Home Staff Attorney

We’re a Maryland law firm dedicated to helping the elderly abused by nursing home staff. The elderly, especially those in nursing homes, are among our most vulnerable populations. 

They’re often in nursing homes because they cannot perform basic tasks themselves, and when they’re abused by the people they rely on to help them live, they can feel like they have no options.

What Sets Our Services Apart?

As a firm, we specialize in nursing home abuse law and related cases. Apart from specialization, we also bring a combined 137 years of trial lawyer experience among our nine attorneys. Our track record is also exceptional, as we were able to recover more than 82 million dollars for our clients in just five years.

How Does Maryland Define Elder Abuse?

The Maryland government defines six types of elder abuse. Remember that if you have a loved one who was an elder abuse victim, then it’s possible they were a victim of more than one of the following types. Though it doesn’t always happen, these forms of abuse typically occur simultaneously.

Physical Abuse

This usually refers to when staff physically strike patients. This could also include the improper use of medication, either inadvertently giving the wrong dose or specific medication or intentionally giving certain medications that could sedate or harm a resident. 

Financial Abuse/Exploitation

This can range from stealing money out of the pockets of the elderly to charging them excessive fees or increasing the prices of an already agreed-upon contract. 

Some elders in nursing homes don’t have the ability or cognizance to understand they’re being charged more or stolen from, and if a nursing home knowingly preys on that, that would be financial abuse.

Psychological Abuse

This usually refers to verbal abuse, such as name calling, yelling, or demeaning statements. It could also relate to the conditions that elders are kept in. Suppose they’re kept isolated from their peers at the nursing home or from ways they communicate with family members and friends outside of the nursing home. That can cause detrimental psychological effects.

Sexual Abuse

This is non-consensual sexual contact of any kind, which can occur in nursing homes when elders have conditions such as dementia, are unaware of their surroundings, and are therefore unable to consent.

Neglect

This refers to when caregivers do not meet the needs of those they are taking care of either because of indifference or other reasons. Often, neglect isn’t necessarily the fault of the nursing home staff, as factors like understaffing and overworking the team can lead to negligence.

In those cases, it’s the nursing home’s responsibility to ensure their facility is adequately staffed, and their caregivers have the proper training and facilities to perform their jobs well.

Self-Neglect

Self-neglect is a byproduct of neglect. Many residents of nursing homes are there because they can’t perform simple everyday tasks that are necessary to take care of themselves.

The nursing home staff is meant to help them perform these tasks, but if they’re being neglected, that could lead to them neglecting their own needs.

Contact Brown & Barron online today to schedule a free case review with a with a abuse by nursing home staff lawyer serving Bowie.