Nursing home abuse cases are among the most heartbreaking I’ve witnessed throughout my career as a nursing home lawyer Memphis TN trusts. It is never easy to put a loved one in an assisted living facility, even if it’s what’s best for their health. So it’s truly tragic when those who cared for us do not receive the care they deserve. Yet it’s an unfortunate reality. Nursing home abuse is much more common than we want to believe. There are new risks in the time of Covid-19.

Nursing home abuse is a widespread problem around the world.

As many as 5,000,000 seniors are abused worldwide each year. Though research shows that up to 24.3% of nursing home residents have suffered, many cases go unreported—as many as one in every five cases, according to some studies.

The coronavirus pandemic has intensified the vulnerability that seniors already faced. Visiting hours restrictions are understandable given the scope of this unprecedented public health crisis. But with that comes new dangers for residents and loved ones. Family members should constantly monitor the nursing home resident’s quality of life. Checking in with them over the phone helps, but it’s equally critical to actually get a feel for the day-to-day experience in the facility. Of course, that’s much easier said than done these days.

No family should have to watch a loved one suffer alone.

As a nursing home lawyer in Memphis TN, I know firsthand how quickly these cases can spiral. I recently met a caregiver whose loved one went to a nursing home after suffering a stroke, just before the pandemic hit. Due to his condition, he had limited mobility and used a wheelchair. He also had a feeding tube. His loved ones visited him during lockdown, but with the new restrictions in place. They could only see their family member through a window.

One day, his family visited and saw another patient in his room. Their loved one had passed. His cause of death was listed as a cranial injury from a fall. The family members had ample reason for concern, however, and they requested an additional autopsy, which found that the resident had food in his lungs. That’s proof that there was neglectful activity going on behind the scenes, undetectable from the limited viewpoint of a window.

One of the cruelest aspects of this pandemic is that it has left many elders alone during the end of their life, a time when they should be surrounded by those closest to them. Covid patients are dying alone in hospitals, but even elders who aren’t directly affected by the virus still have to be isolated, as was the case with my client’s family member. It is so difficult for this family to know that their loved one was not being properly cared for, and yet there was nothing they could do about it.

In cases like these, no amount of money will ever compensate for the loss of a loved one. But even though it can’t bring back the person we lost, it’s worth fighting for. We have to hold the responsible parties accountable. We have to send a message that this is unacceptable. If you are concerned about the care a loved one has received at an assisted living facility, rest assured a nursing home lawyer in Memphis TN is on your side.

Get help from a nursing home lawyer Memphis TN trusts.

If your loved one has been abused or neglected in an elder care situation, you can do something about it. As a trusted nursing home lawyer Memphis TN relies on for elder abuse cases, I’ve helped many families get justice. I can do the same for yours.

Call (901) 327-2100 or contact us online today.