As a nursing home abuse lawyer Memphis TN depends on, I talk with a lot of clients about how to stop nursing home abuse. You can contact the facility, report them to authorities, and even pursue your case in court.
But most of the time, the best way to combat nursing home abuse happens before your loved one ever moves in.
Nursing Homes Foregoing Insurance
Accidents can happen anywhere, and especially in a healthcare facility for elderly patients. But when those accidents happen, who pays for them? If you’re giving your loved one to someone’s care, you should be able to trust they’ll cover the cost of their own mistakes. But the trend right now says otherwise.
Nursing homes used to have insurance that covered a variety of injuries:
- slip and fall accidents
- food poisoning
- bed sores
- assault by other patients or even caregivers
- and much more
But now about 50% of nursing homes don’t carry insurance at all. And a lot of families don’t realize what that means when they sign the contract.
If the nursing home doesn’t have insurance, you might be stuck with all the medical bills, even in the case of traumatic injury that was the facility’s fault. As just one example, I’ve seen nursing home residents spend weeks in the hospital for bed sores. Those costs add up very quickly and can devastate a struggling family.
Why Nursing Homes Have Cut Out Insurance
Nursing homes know if they don’t carry insurance, they can’t be held liable because there’s no money to pay the victims. And victims may have trouble finding a lawyer because attorneys need to know the case can succeed. This means the nursing home never has to face judgement for their actions or pay the price for their mistake.
This is all part of a bigger plan. Huge companies run many of our nation’s nursing homes. They look at every single dollar they can save. This includes cutting portions from their servings, because overall it saves thousands of dollars. They hire at lower wages and do everything they can to give your loved one the absolute minimum required by law.
And, in the case of one now infamous nursing home in Florida, they forego the backup generators needed to keep their patients alive, even with plenty of warning of a Category 5 hurricane.
Fortunately, that’s not every home. So if you’re looking at facilities, make sure to check their insurance. It will say a lot about whether they care what happens to the person you love, and it will help to stop nursing home abuse by demanding better service.
Stop Nursing Home Abuse – Talk with a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
When nursing homes cut corners this way, it looks terrible to juries. In my experience, most people despise it when they see elderly patients get abused. If your loved one has experienced nursing home abuse, you should talk with an attorney as soon as possible.
Our firm investigates your case and helps you figure out your options. There’s no charge, and you can rest assured you’re finally dealing with someone who takes your situation seriously.
I’d love to speak with you more about your case, so contact me today at 901-327-1212.