Peabody Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Some nursing homes in Peabody, Massachusetts, base their names on nature, beautiful places, or admirable qualities. What a nursing home calls itself may inspire confidence that your loved one will be well-taken care of in a pleasant atmosphere.
Yet, we are sad to say that not every Massachusetts nursing home lives up to its name. Nursing home abuse is far too common. If you have your doubts about a nursing home, you Better Phone Stone®.
Our law firm, Jason Stone Injury Lawyers, has over 20 years of experience in resolving legal issues and recovering damages for personal injuries, abuse, and wrongful death. Call (800) 577-5188 to find out how our compassionate Massachusetts lawyers can help you.
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Why Your Loved One Deserves Compassion and Respect
Abuse is inexcusable. Massachusetts nursing homes are required to provide caring, skilled, and compassionate care for their residents. Federal law states, “Each resident must receive…the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial wellbeing, in accordance with the comprehensive assessment and plan of care.”
Your loved one therefore has the right to:
- Good hygiene and grooming, performed as independently as possible
- Support for daily living activities if unable to carry them out alone
- Accurate medication management
- Social interaction to promote mental and psychosocial health
- An environment as free of accident hazards as possible
What can you do if you suspect your loved one is not being treated with dignity? Contact the experienced legal team at Jason Stone Injury Lawyers to investigate.
Our nursing home abuse lawyers can help ensure Massachusetts nursing facilities follow state requirements by taking legal action against negligent facilities. At times, getting abuse attorneys involved is enough to motivate nursing home staff to take better care of its residents.
Why You Can Be Confident in Massachusetts Nursing Home Regulations
In other cases, more is needed to bring nursing homes to their senses. Administrators and staff may try to justify neglect and abuse, but federal law is clear. Massachusetts nursing home nursing services must meet the following specific standards of reasonable care.
Staffing
Enough staff must be on hand to provide services detailed in Massachusetts resident care plans. Being busy is no excuse for neglect or abuse. Each shift should assign care workers to check in with residents and care for their needs. The facility must provide registered nursing services for at least 8 consecutive hours daily.
Each day, a Massachusetts nursing home must display nurse staffing information. Notices may include the facility name, current date, and nursing shift hours, posted in a public area accessible to residents and visitors.
Dietary services
The dietary services provided must comprise nourishing, well-balanced meals. Menus should meet individual needs, be prepared in advance, and be followed closely. Food should be served on a regular schedule at least 3 times a day.
There can’t be more than a 14-hour gap between the evening meal and breakfast. If residents are unable to feed themselves, qualified assistants should assist. Withholding food as punishment is considered to be abuse.
Medical attention
All individuals must remain under the care of a physician. A doctor must be available around the clock in case of emergencies. Besides routine dental hygiene, a Massachusetts nursing home must provide access to dental care. Some homes must give rehabilitative services (e.g. physical or occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, or mental health services).
Professionals must supervise pharmacy services to ensure the accurate dispensing of drugs. Giving unnecessary or unprescribed medicine to control unwanted behaviors is abuse.
Massachusetts residential care facilities must have a sanitary environment. Thus, they must establish infection control programs for residents and guests. Also, they should not let contagious employees contact residents or handle food.
To prevent the transmission of disease, a nursing home is allowed to isolate residents, but prolonged isolation should not be used as discipline. Unexplained voluntary or involuntary isolation is a warning sign of abuse.
Premises management
The nursing home should maintain a safe physical environment. To this end, it must respect Massachusetts health, fire, and safety codes. The common areas must be neat and free from slip and fall obstacles.
A nursing home facility must be licensed under local Massachusetts law and follow applicable federal regulations. Administrators must have professional credentials to manage a nursing home.
Since exceptions and special provisions exist, with regulations depending on the needs of each Massachusetts nursing home and the size of its live-in population, there is much to consider. But don’t worry if this sounds complicated. Jason Stone Injury Lawyers can take on the task of figuring out which rules apply to which place. All you have to do is let us know you welcome our support.
We know you love your family members and want to ensure they receive the best possible care. Our experienced nursing home abuse team can investigate if you suspect a nursing home neglects its duties to your loved one or if abuse may be taking place. Stop by our office in Boston, Massachusetts, or call us toll-free at 800-577-5188 to arrange for us to come meet you or talk with you by phone or video conference.
What to Do If You Are Concerned About Nursing Home Abuse in Massachusetts
Always pay attention to your loved one’s condition and emotional state. An estimated 22 percent of Medicare beneficiaries were injured in skilled nursing facilities. The study determined that many accidents and adverse events are “preventable,” confirming the need to pay closer attention to nursing home safety.
Nursing home abuse is a real danger to Massachusetts residents who depend on caregivers. Elder abuse encompasses physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. About 10 percent of adults aged 60 or older have been the victim of some type of abuse.
The Older Americans Act aims to preserve the rights of older adults and protect those who are unable to protect themselves. The Administration for Community Living urges family members to “learn to spot the red flags” of abuse.
When you visit your loved one in a Massachusetts nursing home, be on the lookout for abuse warning signs. Ask yourself:
- Does my loved one seem uncharacteristically depressed, confused, or withdrawn?
- Is he or she isolated from others for non-medical reasons?
- Are there unexplained bruises, burns, scars, or welts on his or her skin?
- Does my loved one look dirty, underfed, or dehydrated?
- Is my loved one off his or her meds, or overmedicated?
- Is medical care delayed or absent when my loved one has a health concern?
- Does he or she suffer from bed sores or other preventable conditions?
If you have noticed one or more of the above warning signs, your family member may be experiencing abuse at the hands of the ones you hired to protect them. The nursing home abuse lawyers at Jason Stone Injury Lawyers work relentlessly to help Massachusetts victims of nursing home abuse and their families. The last thing you may want to do is hire a lawyer or go to court, but negligent and abusive assisted living facilities may leave you little choice. If your loved one is being abused, the situation is unlikely to resolve itself.
We are here to help. Our Massachusetts wrongful death and personal injury lawyers want you to feel comfortable telling us your story. Contact Jason Stone Injury Lawyers for a free consultation in any way that works best for you: By phone, video call, email, or in person.
Why Nursing Homes Should Be Held Responsible for Neglect and Abuse
According to Harvard Business Review, accountability is not about blame. Accountability is about delivering on a commitment. When a Massachusetts nursing home accepts a new resident, they become responsible for the person’s wellbeing. To the best of their ability, nursing home personnel must deliver according to their duty.
As brought out earlier, the expectations for care are clear. The consequences of abuse and neglect must also be made plain. Local agencies assess the quality of care provided by Massachusetts care homes. Our nursing home abuse lawyers can also support existing systems by using civil laws to identify negligent homes and bring them to justice.
Massachusetts eldercare homes sometimes make immediate changes to improve conditions when they are made aware of existing issues. Unfortunately, some facilities need stronger motivation to rectify long-standing abuse concerns. In those cases, our competent abuse attorneys use legal processes to protect the elderly.
How Jason Stone Injury Lawyers Fight Peabody, Massachusetts Nursing Home Abuse
Since 2004, our lawyers have addressed the needs of people affected by different types of personal injury in Massachusetts, including nursing home abuse.
We can help you document injuries and gather evidence of what happened. Next, we can help you pursue financial relief for medical bills, pain, and suffering by working hard to do the following.
Recover medical expenses
Medical bills add up fast, but with the help of a lawyer, you can get back the money to meet your medical expenses. We can help you file a claim with the insurance provider of the nursing home.
Any nursing home in Massachusetts is likely to carry personal injury insurance which may cover accidents and sometimes medical bills associated with nursing home abuse. Keep documentation of medical expenses, including changing homes, transportation, prescriptions, and rehabilitation.
We know that finding out about the abuse of a loved one can make you sad, angry, and frustrated. And money can never make up for nursing home abuse. Still, getting compensation for medical bills can relieve your family’s financial burden while you focus on recovery.
Seek compensation for pain and suffering
Massachusetts state law allows you to seek damages in nursing home abuse cases. This compensation is not meant to offset financial losses. The attorneys at Jason Stone Injury Lawyers understand that nursing home abuse damages more than a person’s finances. Your dear loved one may be traumatized, confused, and mistrustful after a nursing home abuse incident.
With this in mind, Massachusetts civil courts might order the responsible party to pay money to the abuse victim. The State of Massachusetts may also charge the abusers with a crime. If found guilty, they might be required to pay money to acknowledge the losses your family suffered.
Pursue damages for wrongful death
Losing a loved one is never easy, but it can be especially painful when it is due to neglect or abuse. Our abuse lawyers have learned the best way to help our clients regain peace of mind. We use Massachusetts laws to identify injustices and impose punitive damages on those who abuse older adults.
Why Contact a Massachusetts Nursing Home Abuse Attorney as Soon as Possible
More often than not, Massachusetts personal injury cases are settled out of court. Yet, if you do need to pursue a lawsuit, our attorneys have the experience and the knowledge to protect your nursing home abuse claim. Yet, Massachusetts law allows you only a limited window of time to pursue an abuse settlement.
This deadline is called the statute of limitations. In Peabody, Massachusetts, you have up to 3 years to file for nursing home abuse claims. A lawyer has an easier time building a strong case when the evidence is fresh so consider contacting our abuse attorneys this week.
Nursing home abuse is a critical public health issue, but we know it may be tough to talk about it. Our law firm offers free Massachusetts nursing home abuse consultations. Jason Stone Injury Lawyers has a team of empathetic personal injury attorneys that are familiar with New Hampshire and Rhode Island laws.
Why wait? Schedule a nursing home abuse case evaluation today. Call us at (800) 577-5188 or fill out a brief form online to get answers to the questions on your mind.
Protecting Your Loved One's Rights
We understand that the discovery of nursing home abuse or neglect can have devastating effects on families, and we’re here to help you through this difficult time. If you believe your loved one was a victim of abuse in their long-term care facility, our legal team at Jason Stone Injury Lawyers can give you the help and personalized support you need. That is the Stone Cold Guarantee®.
Our commitment to your well-being and satisfaction is summed up in our Stone Cold Guarantee®. Our attorneys are ready to do the heavy lifting so you can focus on getting better.
Apprehensive about the costs of an attorney? Don’t be – we review nursing home abuse cases for free to help you determine if a case can be built to prove your claim. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis so you will not owe us attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. With our Stone Cold Guarantee®, you can be sure you’re getting the high quality legal representation your family deserves. So don’t wait—contact Jason Stone today to see how we can protect your loved one’s rights.
I have never had such a good experience. He was fast, informative, responded to emails, and got the job done. I have no reservations in recommending him; you will be in good hands.
JESSICA L. | FORMER CLIENT
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You can become exasperated when it seems like nobody wants to listen to you. When you’re hurt, this neglect adds insult to injury.
Our clients are important to us. We’ll take the time to hear you out — your unique problems, your timeline, your specific needs, and your compensation goals. Our team is big enough to provide the expertise you need but small enough to make you feel like family.
Become part of the family today and fill out the free initial consultation form or call us anytime at (800) 577-5188 to get your life back on track.