December 30, 2022 | Personal Injury,Safety
If you suspect that your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, you need to act now. There are various steps that you can take to help protect your loved one and then help ensure that they recover the compensation they are entitled to for what has happened. Here, we want to discuss some immediate steps that you can take if you think your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, as well as some steps you can take after the immediate emergency is over.
If you suspect your loved one has been the victim of abuse inside of a nursing home or some other type of assisted living facility, we encourage you to evaluate the seriousness of the situation and consider calling the police. If your loved one is experiencing an active emergency, meaning that there is ongoing abuse, the situation needs to be investigated by law enforcement officials who can evaluate whether or not there is a criminal complaint.
After taking care of the immediate emergency, you should reach out to the long-term care ombudsmen program, part of the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services. The long-term care ombudsmen program has been established in every state, and the goal is to enhance the quality of life for those in long-term care facilities. Ombudsmen are not employed by care facilities, and they may be able to help guide individuals toward resources to resolve any ongoing abuse or neglect situation. This can include helping individuals find new care facilities.
You can also file a complaint with the Health and Human Resources Office of Inspector General in West Virginia. Complaints can be filed by any person with concerns or knowledge about the healthcare facility, including concerned citizens, family members, and healthcare professionals.
There is an online complaint form that can be filled out, but individuals can also go to the website to find other ways to file a complaint, including over the phone, by fax, or by mail.
If you believe that your loved one has been the victim of abuse, there are steps you can take aside from filing a complaint to help resolve the situation. We strongly encourage you to reach out to a skilled nursing home abuse attorney in Martinsburg, West Virginia who can handle every aspect of your claim. An attorney will listen to your case and help guide you toward the best path moving forward. If the attorney decides to move forward with your claim, they will conduct a complete investigation into the incident and handle all communication with the nursing home or legal teams for the other party.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that your loved one recovers the justice, dignity, and compensation they are entitled to after they have been subjected to abuse or neglect. This can include compensation for medical bills, payments for pain and suffering, coverage to relocate to a new facility, etc. Your case may be resolved through a settlement with the nursing home facility or as a result of a civil personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault parties.
