There is nothing worse than discovering that the people you have entrusted with your loved one's care have neglected their responsibilities. Unfortunately, there are people who abuse their position of trust and fail to take care of an elderly resident's physical and emotional needs in a nursing home facility. The worst part is that many families are unaware of the factors surrounding elder abuse law that can help them build their case. Therefore, it is important to follow these steps as you work with nursing home abuse lawyers who know how to safeguard your loved one's health and financial standing.

Remove Your Loved One From The Dangerous Situation

It is important to immediately take action to get your loved one out of harm's way. In some instances, a nursing home may attempt to obstruct your efforts to move your loved one to a new facility for medical care or to avoid further emotional trauma. In this event, a nursing home abuse attorney can help you get your loved one out of the dangerous situation by making it clear that you know your loved one's rights to be protected from abuse.

Seek Witnesses and Evidence

When neglect occurs, it is not always possible for an elderly nursing home resident to relay their experiences. This is especially true if your loved one has cognitive or speech impairments that affect their ability to communicate clearly. Nursing home abuse lawyers can obtain witness testimony from other professionals who provide care for your loved one such as nutritionists, therapists and other staff members that can help document the abuse. In some cases, medical records demonstrating injuries or symptoms such as extreme weight loss can be used to prove abuse.

Understand Your Legal Rights

Sometimes, a nursing home may take advantage of your lack of knowledge regarding elder abuse law by attempting to get you to sign an agreement early on that releases them from further responsibility. They may also try to delay the case until the statute of limitations runs out. Nursing home abuse lawyers know about these types of tricks, and you can expect them to help you avoid things such as being charged for medical treatments related to your loved one's treatment from the abuse.

Being a family caregiver is stressful enough, and finding out that your loved one has been neglected or abused is heartbreaking. Since this is an tough emotional time, your nursing home neglect attorney is the best advocate for your loved one's safety who will work on your side to end the abuse and make sure that they are compensated for their additional care as they recover.