Elder Abuse Lawyer in Tucson, Arizona
Impacted or Injured by Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse can occur at the hands of assisted living facilities, medical personnel, family, friends, and acquaintances.
If you or a loved one has been injured by the following acts, elder abuse occurred, and you may be liable to fight for compensation:
Bed Sores
Bed sores are preventable with proper care. When nursing home staff members fail to regularly reposition residents with limited mobility, these sores can gradually develop from constant pressure on a particular area of the skin. Left untreated, bed sores can eventually become infected, causing significant damage to muscles and tissues and ultimately putting residents' lives at risk.
Dehydration and Malnutrition
Nutrition and hydration are fundamental needs. Unfortunately for frail, elderly or disabled residents of nursing homes and care facilities, these fundamental needs sometimes fail to be met. For some nursing home residents, eating and drinking is no longer intuitive. For others, physical or cognitive disabilities prevent them from feeding themselves — or complaining when inadequate food or water is provided.
Group Home and Assisted Living Abuse
When the caregivers who are responsible for our well-being, and the other residents in a group home or assisted living facility abuse us or our loved ones, it is often a traumatic experience resulting in a feeling of helplessness and powerlessness.
Nursing Home Neglect
Neglect of the elderly and infirm in today's nursing home industry is rampant. Nursing home facilities are often run by corporate concerns who value a profit margin over patient care. As a result, our loved ones and their families suffer unnecessary pain and anxiety when confronted with a situation involving nursing home neglect.
Untreated Wounds and Sepsis
When an open wound or bed sore is left untreated, a nursing home resident could be at risk of developing sepsis. This is a whole-body inflammatory response to a severe infection, which can occur when bacteria, fungi, viruses and/or parasites enter the body through an open wound, IV line or catheter. Common symptoms include high fever, flushed skin, elevated heart rate, low blood pressure and altered mental status—which can be particularly dangerous for the young and elderly. In some cases, delayed treatment of sepsis can even lead to death.
Contact the AZ Injury Law team of Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian, the most qualified personal injury attorneys in Arizona, for your free consultation today.
How Can I Prevent Elder Abuse?
We encourage you to learn more about some of the most common warning signs. Abuse can take shape in several different forms, including: physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, sexual abuse and neglect.
Apart from some of the more obvious indications of abuse (i.e. visible bruising, sudden weight loss, unexplained changes in behavior, etc.), most warning signs are much more subtle.
The aftermath of abuse or neglect is easier to detect when you know the signs:
- Unexplained injuries (bruises, broken bones, welts, etc.)
- Sudden changes in behavior / signs of fear or depression
- Rapid weight loss / signs of dehydration and malnutrition
- Lack of personal hygiene / development of bed sores
- Unexplained venereal infections / genital bruising
- Unsanitary living conditions (dirt, bugs, soiled linens, etc.)
Your Tucson, Arizona Elder Abuse Attorneys
The epidemic of elder abuse in the US is alarming at best and appalling at worst. Millions of cases per year are reported of elder abuse arising from private settings, hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and group homes. Exploiting vulnerable elderly adults for financial gain is a far too common occurrence in today's society. The law firm of Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian is here to help, and is dedicated to protecting the rights of elderly individuals.
If you or someone you love has suffered from elder abuse, you are going to need an experienced Tucson elder abuse attorney fighting for your rights.
Building a strong case requires that we thoroughly review all aspects of your accident, including liability, extent of your injuries, as well as the economic and non-economic damages you may be eligible to receive.
Our attorneys will fight hard to negotiate a settlement that is in your best interests, or we will take your case to court to receive compensation for your pain and suffering.