Texas Nursing Home Abuse Is Serious - What Can You Do To Help??

 

You love your elderly loved one, and would do anything in the world to care for them.  However, for millions of people, the burdens of taking care of senior parents or relatives leads to the need to look into nursing care facilities to help where you cannot any longer.  In many cases, these facilities provide fine care, and your loved one is treated with respect and dignity.  But for many individuals, including those in the state of Texas, their experience in nursing homes is not the kind that is pleasant at all.  Seniors in nursing homes have fallen victim to abuse of various sorts – and this sort of thing must stop.  This is why you need to know what to look for and how to help those who may be suffering Texas nursing home abuse.

Abuse happens when elderly patients are mistreated in some way by a caregiver.  In many cases the form the abuse takes is physical.  But there are various other ways that a nursing patient can be mistreated.  If your loved one is yelled at or put down verbally, then this is also abuse.  If they are being denied medications they need, or the right to see loved ones, this is clearly abuse.  If a patient is not properly fed, bathed, dressed, or groomed, then they are victims of abuse.  Texas nursing home abuse has become an alarming statistic:  Between 1999 and 2003, Texas was among the twelve states with the most violations that were severe and/or repeated.  So it’s certainly a problem of tremendous scope.

If you wish to find out if your loved one has suffered from Texas nursing home abuse, there are signs to look for.  Any sort of unexplained bruises are a sign something may be seriously wrong; be sure that any accidents are reported immediately and investigated thoroughly.  An agitated, worried patient might just be one who is going through emotional abuse, or has been intimidated in some way.  Some unsavory individuals have actually stolen money and property from patients under their watch.  The number of homes with inadequate care is staggering:  94% of homes failed to meet even the minimum staffing levels required.  These facilities were three times as likely to be violators as the meager number who met staff requirements.  The state is 43rd in the amount of time given to caring for patients – and the average home provided a mere 21 minutes of care each day, which is under half of the state-required minimum.  Even though most facilities are underserving their patients, the facilities seem to be getting cared for quite well:  1,148 Texas nursing homes receive Medicare or Medicaid payments.

So where can you turn if you have problems with Texas nursing home abuse??  Attorneys are waiting to help you get the justice you and your loved one deserve.  Lawyers such as Daniel Stark, Terry Bryant, and the firms of Street & Ragsdale and Bailey and Galyen can handle your Texas nursing home abuse case and either win your case or get a robust settlement from the accused abuser(s).

If you are concerned or scared at the prospect of a loved one being subjected to the horrors of Texas nursing home abuse, there is help out there.  Always remember to get your loved one out of any bad situation he or she may be in – then seek help from an attorney who is trained to get you the relief and results you and your family deserve.