Resident Abandonment
Nursing Home Attorneys
California / New Jersey
Leaving the Elderly Unattended
A nursing home resident should never be left unattended for any significant period of time. A facility nurse or nurse’s aide should be readily available if a resident is in need. Under no circumstances should a nursing home resident be left unattended and without the ability to obtain fundamental needs such as food, water, proper medical care, clothing, or shelter. If this occurs the resident is being abandoned and nursing home neglect has occurred.
Abandonment can happen anywhere inside or outside the nursing home facility. It commonly occurs right in a resident’s room. Nursing home attorneys have heard many stories of different types of abandonment. Some of these include: residents being left for prolonged periods without food or water, call bells going unanswered for significant periods of time, and residents left lying for extended periods on soiled sheets or in dirty diapers.
Nursing home attorneys find that elderly nursing home residents who have difficulty verbally communicating or reaching for a call bell are the most vulnerable to abandonment. Such residents can easily be lost in the shuffle especially when a nursing home is not sufficiently staffed. Unfortunately, understaffed nursing homes is a common problem and when it occurs it puts nursing home residents at risk of abandonment.
The nursing home industry is highly regulated on both the federal and state levels. Abandoning nursing home residents is in violation of Federal, New Jersey, and California laws and regulations.
Under the Federal regulations, nursing home residents have a right to “an environment that maintains or enhances [their] dignity and respect in full recognition of his or her individuality.”
In New Jersey, state regulations require that a nursing home resident have the right to “a safe and decent living environment and considerate and respectful care...”
California’s regulations likewise require that a nursing home resident receive “dignity” and “respect” when residing at a nursing home.
If you suspect your loved one is being abandoned, ask yourself the following questions:
· Is your loved one often alone when you arrive?
· Have you ever noticed his or her food left untouched on the night stand?
· Is he or she often wearing the same clothes?
· Is the staff unresponsive to the call bell?
· Is your loved one ever left lying in a soiled diaper or sheets.
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, nursing home resident abandonment may have occurred. You should contact an experienced nursing home attorney to investigate your case.
The Nursing Home Attorneys will provide a free case evaluation. If there is reason to suspect abandonment, The Nursing Home Attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation of all claims. The Nursing Home Attorneys know where to look and with whom to speak to get you the answers you deserve.
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