Society is supposed to take care of our elders. In Florida, a nursing home, assisted living facility, or any other elderly care facility must provide care and treatment that is safe, adequate, and appropriate. Unfortunately, even prior to Covid-19 in Florida nursing homes, neglect, abuse, and exploitation of the elderly in these facilities was shockingly common. After families make the difficult decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility, we expect the facility to provide an adequate standard of care. However, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse, an overwhelming percentage of elderly residents have been neglected in a facility at some point.

Nursing home negligence is a breach of the duty to provide adequate care to nursing home residents. This frequently occurs because of inadequate staffing, training, or supervision. Common kinds of nursing home negligence include:

• Inadequate attention that may result in poor diabetic care, bedsores, ulcers, mobility issues, and infections
• Inadequate food, water, or basic hygiene, including bathing
• Inadequate dental care
• Inadequate bathing and laundry care
• Emotional neglect and abuse
• Verbal abuse
• Bullying
• Abandonment
• Isolating a resident for excessive periods of time
• Failing to be attentive to a resident’s overall emotional needs and well-being.

Nursing facilities may be understaffed, which leads to the lack of individual time and care for residents. Some caretakers are hired without adequate background and certification checks, which leaves residents vulnerable. Other facilities do not provide proper supervision of employees, resulting in medication errors, mishandling residents with mobility issues, and other fatal mistakes and miscalculations, including malnutrition, disease, preventable falls, and death.

If you suspect nursing home negligence, abuse, or exploitation, be diligent in preserving your loved one’s potential nursing home negligence claim. Document unsanitary conditions, soiled clothing and beds, air conditioning that is too high or too low, lack of necessary items, the formation of bedsores, dehydration or malnutrition, and prescription bottles that are still full since your last visit. The following are a few nursing homes where your loved one may have been a resident:

• Brookdale Senior Living
• Coral Reef Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
• HCR ManorCare
• Heartland
• Life Care Centers of America
• Miami Jewish Health Systems
• Miami Jewish Home & Hospital For The Aged
• St. Anne’s Nursing Home & Residence
• Victoria Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

A failure by these or any other elder care facility to provide safe, adequate, and appropriate treatment may entitle you and your loved one to compensation for medical bills, mental and physical therapy, expenses for moving to another facility, pain and suffering, and punitive damages . If your loved one has suffered neglect or abuse, call Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer André Crenshaw to discuss your case and how we may be able to bring a claim or action on your behalf. Let us help you and your family begin to heal.