Maryland Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse Lawyer

Making the decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is extremely difficult. Finding the right facility can be a long process. Worrying about the daily care being provided to their loved one is something that’s always on the minds of families who have to make this tough choice. These are issues that thousands of Maryland residents are dealing with on a daily basis.

In fact, it’s a nationwide concern. As of 2014, there were over 1.3 million people living in certified nursing facilities in this country. Approximately 24,500 of them reside in Maryland. The number of nursing home residents is predicted to keep rising. Maryland’s population is aging, with people over the age of 60 making up 18.6 percent of the Old Line State’s 5.7 million total residents in 2010. By 2030, that number is expected to hit 25.8 percent. Notably, people aged 80-84 now make up the one of the fastest-growing segments of our state’s population.

If you trusted a nursing home or assisted living facility to care for someone and now you suspect that your loved one has suffered an injury or a decline in their condition due to the care they were given, contact the Central MD nursing home negligence attorneys at the Law Offices of Roger S. Weinberg, LLC. We can be reached at 410-825-3161 or through our online form. An experienced elder care abuse lawyer can help you get the justice and compensation that your loved one deserves. Contact us today for a free case consultation.

Numbers Tell the Story

Anyone placed in a nursing home or an assisted living facility has the right to expect high-quality care. Unfortunately, the expectation is often different from the reality– abuse and neglect occur every day to these vulnerable members of our society.

Sadly, incidents of elder abuse are trending upward, and Adult Protective Services and other agencies say they’re receiving more reports from the public. The actual incidence of mistreatment is likely much higher than statistics indicate, because it’s estimated that for every reported case, there may be 14 to 24 incidents that weren’t officially recorded. It generally appears that elderly females are abused at a higher rate than males and that the older a person is, the more likely they are to be abused.

Happening in Maryland?

It would be unrealistic to think elder abuse wasn’t happening in Maryland care facilities. Case studies into abuse in nursing homes have shown disturbing figures. In one, 44 percent of 2,000 residents interviewed said they had been abused, and an overwhelming 95 percent said they had been neglected or seen other residents neglected.

Rights of Residents

Nursing home residents have rights under both state and federal law. A copy of the “Residents’ Bill of Rights” must be given upon admission and be posted in the facility. These include the right to:

• a safe and secure transfer or discharge
• be treated with consideration, respect, and dignity
• be free from physical, verbal, sexual and mental abuse
• complain about problems.

Find out more about “Residents’ Rights in Maryland” by clicking here.

Basically, a nursing home resident should expect that life in a care center will offer care and services they can no longer do if living on their own as well as provide necessary skilled nursing services. At a minimum, a facility should be safe and clean. Residents should be served nutritious meals and be able to participate in recreational activities. Trained personnel should dispense medications, and emergency care needs to be available.

Nursing home staff plays an important role in all of these scenarios. Maryland has a list of regulations governing the operation of care facilities, and this includes hiring well-trained personnel with experience and ability. Among other requirements, a registered nurse must oversee operations and support staff should be on duty 24 hours a day.

Nursing home abuse can manifest itself in many ways. It may happen only once or may be a pattern of ongoing neglect. Read about the signs of elder abuse by clicking here [link to child page]. Maryland law makes it a crime for anyone overseeing the care of a vulnerable adult to abuse or neglect that person. That means anybody committing such an act can be prosecuted for a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances of the case.

• State law defines abuse as “the sustaining of any physical injury by a vulnerable adult as a result of cruel or inhumane treatment or as a result of a malicious act by any person.”
• The term neglect, under Maryland law, means “the willful deprivation of a vulnerable adult of adequate food, clothing, essential medical treatment or habilitative therapy, shelter, or supervision.”

Find out more about Maryland Elder Care Laws by clicking here.

Call Our Offices for Help

If you suspect someone you love has been the object of abuse or neglect in a nursing home, take action. You might want to ask other residents about their experiences. Contacting the supervisory staff with your concerns is advisable. Keep a log of the events, facts and responses. If the situation isn’t resolved, don’t hesitate to contact an attorney.

The Maryland nursing home neglect attorneys at the Law Offices of Roger S. Weinberg, LLC, know how to advocate for elder abuse victims. Our experienced personal injury lawyers know what questions to ask to evaluate the case and how to determine if your family member is entitled to compensation for their injury or if the family members can be compensated for the resident’s wrongful death. We’ll guide you through the steps needed to report the situation and then we’ll discuss how your loved one may be compensated for the injuries suffered in a negligent Maryland nursing home.

A free consultation with one of our attorneys could be the key to finding peace of mind about your loved one’s living situation. We’ll handle the details while you take care of your family. Fill out our contact form or call us at 410-825-3161 and turn your worries over to us.

Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Review