What Classifies as Senior Abuse?
It’s Good to Know a Few Things Before you Contact a Senior Abuse Lawyer
The senior citizens bill of rights is a list of senior citizen rights that will give you an understanding of what classifies as senior abuse and senior neglect before you contact you senior neglect lawyer. Sometimes when you and your elderly parent are partnering for their care, it seems like an “us against the world” situation.
But since the senior citizen you are caring for has little fight left in them, it seems it’s up to you to make sure that your elderly mom or dad get all they have coming. Just because a person becomes a senior citizen, that doesn’t mean their fundamental rights go away. They deserve and should expect to be treated with respect and for those serving them to live up to expectations. But just as it was before your parent became a senior citizen, a right must be claimed to be a right. So while there is no formal “Senior Citizens Bill of Rights”, there are laws on the books about how nursing homes must treat senior citizens. And even if your mom or dad is in an assisted care facility and not a nursing home, there are some basic expectations that were in that contract and that are fundamentally assumed that the facility will live up to. And its up to you as the caregiver to make sure they are living up to what is expected of them. First of all, the facility your senior citizen lives at should be reliable to provide the basics of safety and cleanliness. Look at the evacuation plan for the facility in the event of a fire or another emergency that would mean getting your parent out of the building. Is it a plan that is clear and is it workable considering the entire facility is full of elderly people who may not move very quickly? And what about emergency power?
In the event of an emergency where the power goes off early, is there emergency backup power to operate elevators and automatic doors so everyone can get out? If the nursing home food service as part of their package of services and if there is a charge for that service, there is a basic expectation that there will be meals made available three times a day, that it will be healthy food and that your parent will never be denied service. It is also not out of line to expect that the food could be delivered to the senior citizens rooms if your parent is ill or injured. And your parent should be able to get some variety in their diet.
If they are not doing a good job of making foods that your parents likes to eat, they shouldn’t be making that additional charge for food service. It is important to understand that nursing home abuse is not limited to physical abuse. Unfortunately, nursing home residents are victims of emotional and psychological abuse as well. Nursing home abuse is a horrifying fact of life for seniors in Oklahoma. Even in its mildest form, nursing home abuse should not be tolerated. Nursing home abuse is a serious problem that is on the rise. It is estimated that 1,000,000 elderly Americans are victims of abuse each year. As we mentioned earlier, your parent didn’t lose his or her rights as an individual when they move into an assisted care facility. Similar events happen in every state in US every day including in Oklahoma. If something like this happens to you or a loved on in Oklahoma then you need to get help by contacting a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Oklahoma.
If your parent is paying to use that apartment, they have a right to live as they please in there. Within certain constraints because they are in a community setting such as keeping noise down after bedtime and the like, your parent should be able to do what he or she wants to do in the privacy of their home without the interference from others in the community or from the staff of the complex. Nursing home settlements in lawsuits often include corrective damages aimed at helping ensure better quality care in nursing homes. This includes receiving guests, allowing family or friends to sleep over, how the apartment is decorated and what kind of music your parent enjoys. A right that really cannot be detailed but can be felt dramatically is your parent’s right to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
This is an intangible but how the staff of the nursing home treat the resident’s means a lot to your parent when they see these people every day. Its not out of line to expect the staff and management of the facility to know your parents names and greet them warmly when they come down to eat or go to a social event. If the staff of the facility have to work directly with your parent, it should be done respectfully and pleasantly. If your parent reports verbal or emotional abuse going on by the staff, that is cause for you to investigate it and hold that facility to accountability for that problem. So if the nursing home needs to be reminded of their responsibilities, you be that squeaky wheel. Squeak loud and squeak often so your parent can live in a place where they enjoy their days and feel that this is a place they can genuinely call home. Nursing Home Abuse is a serious and inexcusable act that can have devastating results for its victims, their families and loved ones. The sad truth about institutional elder abuse is that older Americans are often unable to defend themselves against the physical, emotional, or financial neglect and abuse that is perpetrated by institutions, facilities, and nursing home staff. Nursing home abuse is an issue our firm does not take lightly. Lee connects the dots between the law and justice, holding negligent facilities accountable and telling the stories of injured people when they need it the most. So to sum things up, the best thing you can do is to be able to identify when abuse or neglect happens and perhaps consult an nursing home abuse lawyer. People in Oklahoma need to contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Oklahoma.