Our medical malpractice elder care abuse attorneys understand that when our elderly citizens get abused, that act is one of the most heinous types of personal injury, and we must fight for our elder care clients to seek justice. Our grandparents, parents, relatives and friends sometimes need us to fight for them when they cannot defend themselves. The elder care and abuse medical malpractice attorneys at our PA law firm know that our elderly need the best possible medical care. Unfortunately, our elderly do not always receive the best medical care, and a personal injury occurs through medical malpractice.
Sadly, tens of thousands of senior citizens – or more – are abused and neglected by their caregivers, including relatives and friends. The elderly are frail, which make them less likely to stand up for themselves and more prone to being taken advantage of.
Elder abuse comes in a number of different forms:
- Physical: hitting or shoving the elderly person, improperly administering or administering too much medication, improperly physically restraining the elderly person
- Emotional: making verbal threats, intimidation, humiliation, ignoring or isolating the elderly person.
- Financial abuse: using an elderly person's accounts, checks or cards without permission, forging an elderly person's signature, stealing cash or valuables from the elderly person's home, inappropriately charging an elderly person for healthcare costs.
- Sexual: physical sexual contact, forcing an elderly person to look at pornography or sex acts, forcing an elderly person to undress for other than legitimate medical reasons
Another form of elder abuse is neglect, which can be intentional or unintentional. Elder neglect occurs when an elderly person is not given the degree of care they require. More than half of all reported cases of elder abuse involve neglect.
Elder care abuse is rarely reported for a few different reasons. Some individuals are fearful that the abuses will continue or escalate if they are reported. Others are ashamed to admit having been victims of abuse, or perhaps they do not think anyone will believe their story. Those who are abused by friends or family members may not want their abuser to get into trouble. There may have even been intimidation or threats on the part of the abuser. This is why it is important to be aware of signs that your loved one is a victim. Signs of abuse include bedsores, broken bones, cuts, bruises, and scars. Signs of neglect include a dirty or cluttered home, odors on your loved one's clothing, furniture or bedsheets, unclean hair or nails, and unexplained weight loss.
Representing victims of elder care abuse requires a team of lawyers, nurses and others trained to review the facts of these cases, including medical records. It can be very difficult to prove that even the most serious elder care injury is the result of medical malpractice. That's why you need attorneys on your side to investigate medical records and find the best medical experts to examine the extent of your injuries. At Levin & Zeiger, LLP, we also work with highly-regarded experts to determine the type of medical malpractice and how and why it happened. At times, we will work with other law firms that have particular expertise to assure that our clients receive the most thorough and zealous representation.
When you need a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or New Jersey personal injury attorney to represent you, a family member or friend who is elderly and has been abused or neglected by a caregiver, contact Levin & Zeiger, LLP, who represent every client zealously in order to obtain the best results possible in each case. To arrange a consultation, please give us a call at 215-825-5183 or send us an email via the form above.
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