Seasoned Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri
It is illegal to neglect basic needs in nursing homes. Your loved one is entitled to basic needs such as food, water, shelter, medical care, and hygiene. Seniors can sustain severe injury or death if they cannot access these basic needs.Â
If you suspect your loved one is being neglected in their basic needs, please contact our skilled Kansas City nursing home neglect attorney from Ricket Law Firm as soon as possible.
Why Do I Need a Kansas City Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer?
Our nursing home neglect lawyer can help you and your family navigate the legal system. We understand how to properly construct a legal case demonstrating how your loved one was injured and why the nursing home is to blame for neglecting basic needs.
We may be able to obtain supporting documents such as medical records and other critical pieces of evidence that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. Furthermore, the judicial system is extensive and complex. Without the assistance of a lawyer, a small mistake could cause your case to be delayed or even denied.Â
In addition, every state has time limits for filing cases known as statutes of limitations. The statute of limitations for bringing a claim for nursing home neglect or abuse in Missouri is five years. The time restriction in Missouri for filing a wrongful death lawsuit is three years.
Even if you have an excellent case, you cannot initiate a lawsuit if the statute of limitations runs out. We are familiar with the statutes of limitations in Missouri and can assist you in filing your case before the deadline. We are familiar with the statutes of limitations in Missouri and can assist you in filing your case before the deadline.
For these reasons and more, filing a lawsuit with our nursing home neglect lawyer from Ricket Law Firm is frequently in your best interests.
What Are Some of the Basic Needs of Nursing Home Residents?
In general, basic needs neglect is the inability of a caregiver or nursing home to provide the fundamental services required to safeguard residents from physical or psychological harm.
The following are the minimum basic needs for older individuals in residential care:
- Water
- Food
- Shelter
- Security
- Comfort
- Personal grooming
- Toileting
- Clean clothes
- Clean bedding
- Movement
- Health-care services
Safety involves a wide range of needs, including:
- Clear roads for walking
- Furniture and equipment that is functional
- Safe environment
- Sufficient lighting
- Secure transfers
- Protection against abuse
Federal rules provide basic residents’ rights, and most states have now adopted basic rights and need guidelines. These rights usually include the following:
- Dignity
- Respect
- Freedom
- Self-determination
- Privacy
- Communication
- Visits
- Social interaction
These additional needs are critical for the mental well-being of elderly people in long-term residential care. Residents can encounter many major health problems unless a nursing facility provides at least the basic physical needs outlined above.
What is Nursing Home Neglect?
Nursing home neglect happens when a facility or its employees make mistakes that harm residents or fail to provide adequate care. Our qualified nursing home neglect lawyer may be able to bring lawsuits on behalf of the victim and obtain compensation.Â
Nursing home neglect and nursing home abuse are not the same things. In cases of elder adult abuse, staff personnel purposefully inflict physical injury, sexual battery, financial exploitation, or emotional pain on residents. Both nursing home neglect and abuse can be fatal.Â
Our skilled Kansas City nursing home neglect lawyer can assist victims in obtaining compensation.
What Are The Common Reasons for Nursing Home Neglect?
Neglect of basic needs in nursing homes can occur for various reasons. The following are some of the most common:
Residential Care Facilities Are Understaffed
Nursing facilities regularly fail to meet residents’ basic needs simply because they do not have enough staff to care for people in their care appropriately. Budget shortfalls, bad scheduling methods, workforce turnover, and poor facilities management may all contribute to this.
Burnout Among Caregivers
Burnout and stress occur when nursing home staff employees are overworked or face management challenges. Staff may not know they are not adequately caring for people in these tough situations or, tragically, cannot do something about it.
Inadequate Staff Training
Employee turnover in nursing facilities is famously high. New staff members are frequently expected to address residents’ demands without proper training. Inexperienced personnel may be unaware that they are ignoring residents.
Problems With Personal and Mental Health
Some nursing home personnel may have personal issues that impair the quality of their employment. Others have issues with mental health or have been abused in the past, which they utilize against innocent residents. Whatever the reason, nursing home patients’ basic needs should never be disregarded.Â
Residential care facilities are required by law to offer a fair quality of care for residents, which includes meeting their fundamental requirements. If a facility fails to provide a resident’s basic needs, it may be liable for economic and non-economic damages.
What Are the Common Warning Signs of Neglect of Basic Needs in Nursing Homes?
In contrast to other types of nursing home abuse, indicators of neglect are usually visible to family members and visiting friends. The following are some of the most common indications of basic needs neglect:
- Soiled clothing
- Dirty bedding
- Bad body odor
- Foul breath
- Extreme loss of weight
- Persistent thirst
- Lips that are dry or cracked
- Lack of wound care
- Unwashed underwear
- Pressure ulcers (bedsores)
- Reduced mobility
- Unexplained injuries
How to Report Neglect of Basic Needs in Nursing Homes in Kansas City?
You should report any suspected neglect of basic needs in nursing homes. To begin, file a complaint against a long-term care facility in Kansas. In Kansas, you can contact the Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. You can submit a complaint about a nursing home in Missouri by calling the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
You can contact your local law enforcement or social services department if a resident is in immediate danger. You can also seek assistance from our competent Kansas City nursing home neglect lawyer. We are familiar with holding nursing facilities accountable for abuse and neglect.Â
Make a note of the date, time, and person’s name if you report the concern to a nursing home supervisor. If you register a complaint with a government entity about your records, save a copy of the complaint. All information will benefit us as we thoroughly investigate nursing home neglect.
Having our skilled nursing home neglect lawyer handle the legal matters allows you to focus on providing a safe environment for your loved one and caring for their physical and mental well-being.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Neglect of Basic Needs in Nursing Homes?
Did you or a loved one suffer serious injury or illness due to neglect of basic needs in nursing homes? You may be able to seek financial compensation.Â
When a person privately owns the facility, they may be held accountable for nursing home negligence even if they were not present at the time of the incident. However, if the nursing home is run as a company, the owners may not be held accountable unless they were aware of the situation and failed to address it.
In either situation, the facility may face liability for nursing home neglect. The facility must keep nursing home patients safe even if the owner isn’t directly involved. Failure to meet that commitment may result in liability. For example, the facility may be liable if a nurse fails to administer medication to a resident because their shift did not begin on time.
You don’t have much time to intervene if you feel your loved one is receiving substandard treatment. You should contact our Kansas City nursing home neglect lawyer right now. We can assist you in determining if you have grounds to sue the facility.
What Are the Compensation for Victims of Neglect of Basic Needs in Nursing Homes in Kansas City
If a nursing home resident you care for suffered neglect of basic needs in nursing homes, Missouri law allows them, or someone on their behalf, to seek compensation from the individual abusers or the nursing care institution.Â
If both parties reach an agreement or a court rules in favor of the plaintiff, your loved one may be entitled to compensation for the following injuries and trauma-related damages and losses:
- Ambulance service, hospitalization, transitional care, rehabilitation, x-rays, and other diagnostic testing are all medical treatment costs associated with neglect.
- Transfer fees for moving a loved one to a different nursing home
- If injuries result in permanent impairment or require continued treatment, future medical expenses are estimated.
- The cost of consulting a psychologist, counselor, or other mental health professionals to deal with the emotional trauma of neglect
- Pain and suffering, both physical and mental
- In nursing home abuse instances involving purposeful harm or gross negligence, punitive damages may be awarded.
Call Our Kansas City Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer Today
Nursing homes are not places where we place our loved ones and then leave them to die. It is a residence for people who need the greatest care possible, offered with dignity and respect. We trust nursing facilities and their personnel to give the best care possible for our parents, grandparents, and other loved elders who cannot care for themselves.Â
Neglect of basic needs in nursing homes destroys victims’ and their families trust. The Ricket Law Firm’s significant knowledge and passion for client advocacy will assist you in holding your loved one’s caregivers and nursing home liable for the harm they caused. We serve clients throughout Missouri, including Kansas City.Â
Contact our skilled Kansas City nursing home neglect lawyer to explore the circumstances of your loved one’s neglect and identify the appropriate next steps.
