Baltimore Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Baltimore and across Maryland have a responsibility to give aging adults a supportive and nurturing place, while offering the medically necessary care and supervision family members can’t provide. Unfortunately, what is delivered may fall short of what’s promised, and loved ones may find themselves subjected to nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect.

At Greenberg Law Offices, our Baltimore nursing home abuse attorneys can help you ensure your loved one’s rights are protected and they get the care and respect they deserve. Our skilled negotiators and litigators have been helping families since 1966 and across three generations, and we treat everyone who walks through our front door as though they are part of our own family.

If you suspect your family member is suffering elder exploitation or elder abuse in a Baltimore nursing home or long-term care facility, we want to know. A Maryland elder abuse lawyer can help you pursue the justice and compensation your family member deserves. Contact Greenberg Law Offices today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and let our family help your family.

What a Baltimore Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Do for Your Case

A Baltimore nursing home abuse lawyer at Greenberg Law Offices can help you protect your family member’s rights. We know how to fight to get the accountability and maximum compensation they — and you — deserve if they have experienced abuse or neglect in a nursing home setting. Our firm has over 60 years of service and success in guiding Maryland families through the legal process. We understand that abuse impacts everyone in your family, so use our elder law knowledge and resources to help your family move forward.

We start by listening to you and offering personalized legal advice specific to your situation. If your loved one is suffering abuse or neglect in a nursing home in Baltimore or anywhere in Maryland, we can investigate the allegations and collect and preserve evidence valuable to your case. We want to protect your family member’s legal rights and fight for negligent workers, caregivers, or facilities to be held accountable for their actions.

What Damages Could I Recover in a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit?

Part of pursuing justice for your cherished family member is seeking fair compensation for their injuries and losses. The value of an elder abuse claim varies depending on the specifics of the situation and the severity of a person’s injuries. You should never allow a vulnerable family member to accept a settlement from an insurer or other entity without checking with an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer in Baltimore. That’s because an attorney can evaluate the settlement and calculate your loved one’s losses before aggressively negotiating for maximum compensation on their behalf.

The value of an elder abuse lawsuit is also highly fact-dependent. If parties cannot reach a fair settlement in good faith, an elder abuse lawsuit may be the best path forward. An attorney can prepare your family for what that entails and what compensation may look like. Again, while the value of a case varies, in many situations, victims of elder abuse or neglect can seek compensation for the following:

• Medical expenses
• Relocation expenses
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering

Understanding elder abuse compensation can be challenging. Working with an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer from Greenberg Law Offices is the best way to understand the value of your family member’s case, and to learn what steps can move you toward the most favorable outcome possible.

Is There a Time Limit for Filing a Nursing Home Abuse Case in Maryland?

Nursing home abuse and neglect victims have limited time to file a lawsuit pursuing compensation for their injuries. The nursing home abuse statute of limitations gives you just three years from the date of the injury or when the victim reasonably should have known about the injury. When you hire an attorney from Greenberg Law Offices, we can make sure to do a full investigation into the nursing home abuse matter and file your claim within the filing deadline period.

What Is Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home abuse is a broad term that can refer to numerous types of neglectful and abusive situations. Generally, nursing home abuse is considered any harm perpetrated against an elderly resident. While most people associate abuse with physical violence, several forms of nursing home abuse can physically and emotionally impact the health and safety of residents, including the following:

• Physical Abuse – Physical abuse is one of the most recognizable forms of abuse because it typically leaves visible traces like bruising, cuts, and broken bones. This occurs when staff, caregivers, or other residents cause intentional harm to an elderly individual, such as hitting, kicking, pushing, biting, and slapping.
• Psychological/Emotional Abuse – Psychological abuse happens to residents when a caregiver or staff member intentionally inflicts mental harm or distress on an elderly resident by engaging in verbal and nonverbal threats. Emotional abuse can take numerous forms and may include using degrading language, being verbally aggressive, yelling, humiliating a nursing home resident, or isolating them to the point of damaging a resident’s mental health. The signs of mental or emotional abuse are often much more subtle than physical abuse. They can include depression, withdrawal from favorite activities, and significant personality changes or changes in eating and sleeping patterns.
• Sexual Abuse – Although it’s not uncommon, sexual abuse is one of the most underreported forms of nursing home abuse. It includes unwanted sexual contact or touching. Examples of sexual abuse include rape, fondling, forced touching, forced nudity, taking sexually explicit photographs or videos, and forcing a resident to watch explicit materials. Residents who suffer cognitive decline or physical disability are at a greater risk of suffering sexual abuse.
• Financial Abuse – This is another form of abuse that can be challenging to spot unless you closely monitor your loved one’s accounts. Predatory caregivers can target vulnerable residents, manipulating them into participating in investment or pyramid schemes for their financial enrichment. Caregivers or staff may also force or trick residents into giving them gifts or money. Theft, fraud, and forgery are common forms of financial abuse.

Neglect also falls under the umbrella of nursing home abuse. It is the systematic failure to meet the daily needs of an elderly nursing home resident. It is not a one-time occurrence or oversight; rather, it constitutes a routine failure to care for a resident’s basic needs. Examples of nursing home neglect include the following:

• Medical Neglect – This neglect concerns failing to meet the medical needs of an elderly resident via failing to administer medications, improper wound care, not providing treatment for sores and infections, and failing to seek reasonable treatment for medical conditions.
• Neglect of Basic Needs – All residents deserve basic respect and decency. Neglect of basic needs involves failing to provide the basics such as food, water, and a safe environment.
• Neglect of Personal Hygiene – Residents also deserve to maintain a reasonable level of personal hygiene. Neglect of personal hygiene can include consistently not providing a resident with clean clothes, laundry, dental care, clean undergarments, or bathing resources.

What Are Reasons Why Nursing Home Abuse Occurs?

Nursing home abuse and neglect are complicated topics. Providing proper elder care can be challenging. The pay is typically low, a facility may divert resources to secure higher profits, or facilities could fail due diligence and not adequately vet the caregivers they hire. The reasons nursing home abuse occurs are varied, making it tricky for loved ones to uncover abuse because, on the surface, a facility can look like it is the perfect fit.

Some of the most common reasons nursing home abuse occurs include the following:

• Underpaying staff
• Not enough staff/understaffing
• Inadequate staff training
• Poor hiring practices
• Not conducting background checks on staff and caregivers
• Caregiver frustration, overwork, and burnout

In many instances, poor management can lead to nursing home abuse and neglectful situations.

Are There Signs I Should Look for That Could Indicate Nursing Home Abuse?

As a family member or loved one, there are warning signs of abuse or neglect in nursing homes that you can look for to help protect your loved one, including the following:

Learning how to recognize elder abuse is vital because physical or cognitive impairments or threats from caregivers can make residents feel like they have no voice and can’t speak up.

What Should I Do If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse?

Reporting poor care in a nursing home can feel overwhelming. Many families wonder how to report nursing home neglect or abuse or how to file a nursing home complaint in Maryland. Those who believe they’ve seen or suspect signs of nursing home abuse or neglect can find help through:

• Maryland Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
• Baltimore City Health Department
• Eldercare Locator
• Maryland Adult Protective Services
• A Baltimore nursing home abuse lawyer who handles cases throughout Maryland

Reporting poor care in a nursing home can also be done through Medicare if the facility receives federal funds and accepts Medicare to cover services.

Contact a Baltimore Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Family members may be anxious about pursuing an elder abuse case. At Greenberg Law Offices, our compassionate nursing home abuse lawyers can be your advocates in seeking justice and full compensation for what your family member has suffered. We will work with you to help you understand nursing home regulations in Maryland and how we can help your family through this challenging time. Contact our office today for a free, no-obligation consultation.