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Attorney for Nursing Home Neglect in New Mexico

with Stephen Barnes, MD, JD
(Stephen Barnes, MD, JD, interviews clients and reviews the medical records)
Nursing home abuse and neglect can be sources of trauma and emotional distress for your entire family, especially the victim. If you suspect a nursing home mistreated your loved one, get a New Mexico nursing home abuse and neglect attorney to help you develop a nursing home abuse lawsuit.
Schedule a free consultation with Tim Chelpaty Law Firm today.

What Is Nursing Home Abuse?

Many people don’t immediately recognize when nursing facilities abuse and neglect an elderly family member. Some types of abuse take insidious, subtle forms that one can easily overlook. Nursing home abuse and neglect have distinct definitions.

Nursing home abuse occurs when a facility’s staff causes intentional harm to your loved one. This harm often includes financial, emotional, mental, physical, and sexual abuse. Some residents don’t have the means or capabilities to defend themselves, so they may become targets for abusive staff members.

While nursing home neglect falls under abuse, it pertains to more specific forms of harm. For example, your loved one may experience a nursing home’s neglect if a caretaker refuses to provide them with prescribed medicines. The perpetrator may also force the victim to take unprescribed medications to keep them sedated.

Neglect also includes constantly missed meals, no access to water, or laying and sitting in one position until sores develop. Both nursing home abuse and neglect have detrimental consequences that require guidance from a nursing home abuse lawyer. The responsible establishment should shoulder lawful accountability.

Our legal team wants to help you find peace of mind by holding liable parties responsible and fighting for compensation.

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Every Personal Injury Case Reviewed by Medical Professionals.

We believe in the highest level of service and care for our clients. That is why every Medical Malpractice case we take on is reviewed by Stephen Barnes, MD, JD, who interviews clients & reviews the medical records. 
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Nursing Home Abuse Statistics

After discovering signs of neglect and abuse, you might feel alone in your struggle. Unfortunately, however, nursing home abuse statistics continue climbing.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a sixth of all people 60 years and older suffered from assisted living abuse and neglect between 2021 and 2022. It also reports that two out of three nursing home staff members self-reported their own acts of abuse. The WHO expects these statistics to climb as more senior adults age into care facilities.
An article published on Human Rights Watch supports these statistics, stating that the pandemic has increased reports of nursing home abuse. Since COVID-19 came with shelter-in-place orders and preventative isolation, underemployed and overworked staff stretched thin within assisted living and nursing facilities.

Types of Abuse in Nursing Homes

As reputable nursing home abuse lawyers, we know that nursing home abuse takes various forms. These include the following:

Malnutrition

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Medication Errors

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Medical Malpractice

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Falls

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Bone Fractures

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Physical Abuse

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Bedsores

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Sexual Abuse

Your loved one may avoid eating or lack a healthy appetite. This behavior might occur from medications that stifle hunger, threats from staff, emotional or mental distress, or a general lack of available food. Exhaustion can also signify malnutrition.

Nursing Home Abuse Warning Signs

With abuse so rampant in long-term care facilities, how can you tell whether you need help from a New Mexico nursing home abuse and neglect attorney? Take a look at common abuse indicators below: 

Dehydration

You may notice dryness around your loved one’s lips and eyes. They might also complain of dizziness or headaches. Each of these indicates dehydration.

Infections

When you visit your loved one, do they constantly seem unwell with colds, stomach bugs, or other ailments? Constant sickness may signal a lack of cleanliness and care for the residents’ health. 

Odd Behavioral Changes

If you notice your loved one acts more out of character with each visit, they may experience nursing home abuse. Abuse can make a person more agitated, upset, and volatile even in familiar surroundings with familiar people. 

Emotional Distress

Does your loved one seem withdrawn, depressed, or unwilling to communicate about certain topics?  They may have emotional distress resulting from neglect or abuse.

Nursing Home Abuse Causes

Nursing home abuse and neglect cause trauma, mistrust, and heartbreak. While abuse and neglect are unjustifiable, you should understand what causes them to occur. How can abusive situations continue in care facilities?

It often happens when facilities hire incompetent or unfit staff members. Some establishments lack an adequate number of staff members, while others may not provide sufficient training.

These factors combined create a stressful environment filled with overworked caretakers who don’t know how to cope with the workload. Neglect occurs when staff members have limited time, energy, and other resources to carry out necessary tasks. Abuse happens when staff members misplace frustration on residents under their care.

A New Mexico nursing home neglect and abuse lawyer will investigate what happens beyond your view to confirm the causes. 

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

If you noticed abuse indicators during recent visits with your loved one, hire a New Mexico nursing home abuse and neglect attorney from Tim Chelpaty Law Firm to investigate your case.
Schedule a free consultation to protect your family and take action
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