NURSING HOME ABUSE & NEGLECT IN ALBANY

Albany Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

You expect that the nursing home you trust to care for your elderly parent or other relative will treat residents with respect and watch over them with a team of qualified professionals.

But sadly, nursing home abuse and neglect is all too common in Albany, throughout New York and across the United States. This abuse and neglect of some of the most vulnerable among us can take many forms and, perhaps more disturbing, can lead to your loved one’s declining health and even death.

Take action now by talking to one of our experienced New York nursing home abuse attorneys. A consultation is free, and you do not pay us anything unless and until we recover payment for the damages your family has suffered.

Signs of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

No one wants to imagine that a caregiver at a nursing home facility could hurt an elderly resident or allow a vulnerable resident to be hurt. Nevertheless, the U.S. Administration on Aging has identified several warning signs of potential elder abuse. These include:

• Pressure marks
• Bruises
• Abrasions
• Burns
• Broken bones
• Bedsores
• Unattended medical needs
• Weight loss
• Poor hygiene
• Atypical depression
• Unexplained withdrawal from regular activities
• Sudden change in alertness
• Strained or tense relationships
• Frequent arguments between the elderly person and caregiver
• Legionnaires’ disease outbreak (also known as legionella pneumonia).

The best thing you can do for your elderly loved one if you suspect nursing home neglect or abuse is to pay attention to details and start asking questions. Do not hesitate to speak up and demand answers from the nursing home about any signs of abuse or neglect.

Contact the Albany personal injury lawyers at Belluck & Fox today by calling (518) 621-2699 if you have any concern about your relative’s health and safety. Our dedicated attorneys are proud to advocate for nursing home abuse victims and others who are unable to speak up for themselves. We will fight fiercely to protect your loved one and demand full financial compensation for any harm suffered.

How to Report Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Albany

If you suspect a loved one is being neglected or abused in an Albany nursing home, here is how to take action immediately.

• Submit a complaint online to the New York State Department of Health. You will need to provide the facility’s address as well as your loved one’s room number.
• You may also call the Nursing Home Complaint hot line at 1-888-201-4563. The hot line is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, but people reporting abuse or neglect can leave a voicemail message during off hours.

The New York State Department of Health will evaluate your complaint and decide how to proceed. Investigators may conduct interviews, examine medical records and other documents from the facility, or visit the facility.

If the state’s investigation finds that the nursing home violated or does not meet federal or state regulations, the Department of Health will issue a citation. The nursing home then must submit a plan of corrective action that the Department of Health finds acceptable. The facility must act on this plan and correct the problem that led to the violation.

The process of a state investigation can seem painfully slow when you are concerned that your relative’s health and life are at risk. That is where the Albany nursing home abuse lawyers at Belluck & Fox can help. We will take action immediately to launch an independent investigation of the facility and stay in contact with the state for status updates on their investigation. We will make it clear to the facility’s owners and managers that their actions are under a microscope.

Legal Options for Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in Albany

Belluck & Fox’s Albany nursing home abuse attorneys can support you and your family by helping you file a complaint of possible neglect or abuse with the state and advocating for your loved one’s rights throughout the investigation.

Some of the common nursing home abuse complaints our team handles involve:

• Changes in a resident’s condition that were not addressed in a timely manner
• Accidents leading to injury
• Housekeeping and maintenance issues
• Incorrect administration of medicine
• Improper supervision of staff
• Problems with admission and discharge

In addition to the state investigation, our attorneys can pursue justice for your family member by filing a personal injury lawsuit that seeks financial compensation for pain and suffering, as well as any medical bills stemming from the nursing home’s abuse or neglect.

If you have experienced the most heartbreaking of circumstances, where your parent or loved one has died because of such abuse or neglect, our compassionate wrongful death attorneys will work tirelessly in pursuit of compensation to ease your family’s financial burden and obtain justice on behalf of your loved one.

The Albany nursing home abuse attorneys at Belluck & Fox are dedicated to assisting families who only want to protect their vulnerable relatives. We will examine all your options for pursuing justice, including identifying anyone who could be held responsible for the abuse or neglect of your loved one, such as a nurse, administrator or other staff member, the facility itself, or the company that owns it.

Nursing Home Regulations in New York State

New York State’s Department of Health oversees and investigates reports of nursing home neglect and abuse. Every nursing home employee and all licensed professionals, regardless of whether they are employed by the nursing home, are required to report any alleged abuse, neglect or mistreatment under the Patient Abuse Reporting Law.

In addition, the state’s Health Department is required to investigate such allegations and administer sanctions both against those responsible and those who fail to report such abuse, neglect or mistreatment.

Nursing Home Residents’ Rights

The New York Department of Health emphasizes that nursing home residents have certain rights. These include:

• Quality care and treatment without discrimination
• Respect, dignity and a comfortable living environment
• Safeguards of property and money
• Freedom to make independent decisions
• Participation in organizations and activities of their choosing
• Safeguards in admission, transfer and discharge
• An easy-to-use and responsive complaint procedure
• Privacy in communications
• The ability to exercise these rights without fear of reprisals

However, it’s a troubling fact that in many cases, your relative may be unable to communicate to you that his or her rights in a nursing facility have been violated. That is why it is key to be vigilant, identify any signs of possible abuse or neglect and be proactive in reporting anything that you find suspicious. Your willingness to take action may save not only your family member’s health and life but the health and lives of others suffering from the same neglect or abuse.

Call an Albany Nursing Home Abuse Attorney at Belluck & Fox for Help with Your Case

• Highly regarded Albany law firm with more than two decades of experience successfully handling nursing home abuse claims
• Dedicated to fighting for the best interests of nursing home neglect and abuse victims and their families
• Prepared with the resources to investigate large nursing homes and thoroughly document abuses
• Highly recommended by former clients and legal peers
• Focused on providing professional and compassionate representation
• Committed to maintaining open communication with clients throughout the legal process

Our Capital District Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Protect Those Who Can’t Protect Themselves

At Belluck & Fox, our dedicated attorneys are committed to providing a strong voice for anyone who has suffered abuse or neglect while in an Albany nursing home. We, too, feel outraged and disgusted when we learn about some of the atrocities committed against these vulnerable residents, and our lawyers are determined to take swift action to advocate both for your loved one’s safety and the financial compensation your family deserves for what you have endured.

Contact the Albany nursing home abuse attorneys at Belluck & Fox today by calling (518) 621-2699 or filling out our online form to arrange for a free consultation. You pay no legal fees upfront to start your case, and you owe us nothing unless and until we secure compensation for you.