Society’s elderly citizens deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and care as they live out their golden years, often with the need of medical and physical assistance from others, including regular doctor’s visits, nursing care, and help with daily tasks like bathing and dressing. When the need for this help becomes too great for a family to bear, often the decision is made to place an aging family member in a nursing home where he or she can receive around the clock attention from skilled employees.
This decision should be one that leaves a family with peace of mind, knowing that their loved one is being watched and cared for at every turn. But nursing home lawyers know too well that this is not always the case. Some homes operate understaffed and overburdened which leads to some residents not receiving the care they deserve.
Of all of the ways in which a nursing home resident may become injured, the most disturbing events stem from the negligence, ill will, or disregard shown by an employee to that resident. This may result in bed sores from failing to move the patient, fractures from failing to properly transfer a patient, or cuts and bruises from a patient falling while unsupervised.
One thing a nursing home resident should never have to worry about is being the victim of a sexual assault while in the care of home employees, yet it appears that such an instance recently happened at a nursing home in Maine.
Police in the area have confirmed a suspected sexual assault of a resident of an assisted living facility in Watterville, north of Portland. At this time it appears that only one employee and one resident were involved in the incident and officials have been quick to state that the suspected employee has been terminated.
Though this incident happened in Maine, it is similar to incidents that happen in Illinois nursing homes every year. The damages that occur from a sexual assault of this nature can be hard to determine and difficult to manage which is one reason it is a good idea to speak with a lawyer who has experience handling cases of this type.
The legal definitions of a sexual assault vary from state to state but regardless of the nature of the crime committed, an employee, owner, or operator of a nursing home who sexually abuses a resident may be liable not only for the criminal charges but also for a civil claim for damages brought by the victim.
If you believe your loved one has been the victim of abuse or neglect while in the care of a nursing home, hospital, or assisted living facility, call our legal team at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us provide you with a free case consultation. We are standing by 24 hours a day to take your call at (312) 924-7575 or toll free at (855) 529-2442 and we never charge a fee unless we make a recovery on your behalf.
Prior Blog Entry:
Nursing Home Employee Caught Sleeping on Job, Endangers Patients, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, published November 8, 2013.
Resources:
Police Investigating Nursing Home Sex Assault, WGME 13, published November 19, 2013.