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The very purpose of a nursing home is to provide care, medical attention, and support to our elders who can no longer take care of themselves. When your loved ones are living in a nursing home, you’re placing your trust in the caregivers and staff to offer a high quality of life with 24/7 access to resources that residents need to stay healthy and happy.

Unfortunately, not all nursing homes can boast trustworthiness. The sad reality is that your elder relatives may not be living in a caring environment at all.

When a care facility acts in a negligent manner, it could result in serious harm to senior citizens. At the Law Offices of Tragos, Sartes & Tragos, our Clearwater Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers fight on behalf of senior citizens and their families to hold the negligent party responsible. En Español.

Backed by 40+ years’ experience, our dedicated personal injury attorneys are well-prepared to guide you through the difficult legal issues that lie ahead in a nursing home abuse claim.

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Statistically, over 10% of elderly or disabled persons reside in an assisted living facility or nursing home during their lifetime. Among the most important rights provided to patients is the right to dignified care and the right to be free from abuse or neglect. If you or your loved one has developed bedsores, or has suffered broken bones or medical complications due to the failure of a facility to provide medication or proper treatment, we invite you to call us for a free consultation. All elderly and disabled people deserve to be cared for with dignity and respect. When push comes to shove, you want us on your side.

About Florida Nursing Home Abuse Laws

Every nursing home facility must be staffed with qualified personnel and healthcare providers. Nursing assistants and care providers need to have reached a certain number of educational hours and training before they can legally work in a nursing home. Additionally, each nursing home must have a physician, nurse, or dietician available.

Other regulations that nursing home facilities must abide by include:

Nursing home abuse
  • Adequate staff to provide necessary care
  • Comprehensive care plan for each individual
  • Proper vision and hearing treatment for residents
  • Pharmaceutical services
  • Supervision of medical care for residents
  • Avoid medication errors
  • Adequate supervision for individuals

Has a nursing home facility violated any of these basic regulations, neglected their duties, or committed outright abuse? Our personal injury lawyers in Clearwater have decades of experience with which to help you bring a claim against a negligent nursing home facilities.

Nursing homes, coronavirus and the elderly

The coronavirus pandemic has affected everybody, but the virus is particularly dangerous to residents of nursing homes and senior care centers. In elderly care facilities across the state of Florida, hot spots have popped up that put the lives and health of residents at risk. 

For instance, in one Pinellas County nursing facility, dozens of residents tested positive for COVID-19 and many had to be hospitalized. A number of residents died. Even though news sources say the administrators of Seminole Pavilion Rehabilitation knew about the coronavirus outbreak as early as April 1, 2020, the facility failed to report this information to the public or take appropriate action until days later.  

What’s more, in March 2019, Seminole Pavilion Rehabilitation & Nursing Services received a number of health inspection violations according to U.S. News & World Report. These violations included failing to honor their residents’ right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment and failing to provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. Since 2016, the facility has consistently been cited for several deficiencies, complaints and violations.

According to the statement of rights for nursing home patients, residents have the right to be free from abuse, neglect, and the right to dignified care. If it can be proven that nursing home staff failed to properly prevent cross contamination or take other reasonable steps to protect vulnerable residents from COVID-19 infection, then a facility may be held liable for negligence. 

While not all nursing homes will be held liable for coronavirus fatalities and infections since this pandemic is so widespread, senior care facilities and staff do have a duty to reasonably protect residents from cross contamination — and to take appropriate action when an infection is detected. Undoubtedly, nursing homes with poor track records and a laundry list of past violations — such as Seminole Pavilion Rehabilitation — should be further scrutinized for how they handled COVID-19 cases.

Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home negligence and elder abuse can take many different forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuses. Physical abuse through non-accidental and excessive uses of force may be the easiest to detect, but other forms of abuse can be difficult to discern. For example, you may not know when your loved one is being intimidated or ignored by the nursing home staff. For one reason or another, a resident may not want to speak out about the abuse.

It is important to understand the different kinds of abuse that can take place in nursing homes and how to identify them. Frequent visits and check-ups may help families remain aware of their loved one’s condition and be able to spot abuse early on. Keeping careful financial records may prevent financial exploitation and healthcare fraud. Gather as much evidence as possible to help protect the health and safety of you and your loved ones.

Too many cases of nursing home abuse go undetected and unreported; don’t let the abuse of your loved one be one of them.

Let Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Help You

We understand your situation is unique. You may feel overwhelmed by a situation and not know what steps to take. With us, you’ll also have no upfront fees to worry about, as we do not want to add any further difficulties.

We only get paid if you win your legal claim. We encourage you to discover how our experienced lawyers can help you seek a measure of justice for nursing home abuse. Let our Clearwater nursing home abuse attorneys guide you through the process and help you protect your rights and entitlements.

If you or a loved one is suffering from abuse, take action to stop it and recover compensation for medical costs and suffering. Work with the award-winning legal team at the Law Offices of Tragos, Sartes & Tragos today and protect your loved ones against nursing home abuse.