A nursing home that is routinely understaffed is more than a simple personnel issue. Ongoing understaffing can lead to serious health and safety consequences for the residents who rely on them for care and supervision. If your elderly parent or spouse is a resident at a Jacksonville nursing home and you recently discovered the facility does not have enough staff to meet the needs of its residents, you might have a valid claim against the nursing home.
A Jacksonville understaffing lawyer can help your team uncover the cause and effects of nursing home understaffing on your elderly parent or spouse. When you are ready to hold the nursing home accountable for the consequences of inadequate care, contact a member of our team right away.
Reach a member of the Jacksonville nursing home abuse law team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine by calling us as soon as possible.
The Danger to Residents When Nursing Homes Are Understaffed
When elderly Floridians are in nursing homes, they often require specialized care and attention. Their ongoing need for medical attention, peer-to-peer social interaction, and appropriate supervision are among the reasons you placed them in nursing home care in the first place.
When the nursing home does not have enough staff members to offer these services, your loved one’s health and safety can become compromised. Research published in the Journal of the National Medical Association indicates what happens when nursing homes are understaffed. The consequences their residents might suffer can include:
- Painful and difficult-to-treat bedsores
- Inadequate diets that lead to malnutrition
- Otherwise unexplained weight loss
- Critical dehydration that threatens their health
- Pneumonia and other potentially fatal infections
If your loved one suffered one or more of these consequences because of nursing home understaffing, you could be entitled to financial compensation. When you are ready to seek the financial compensation you deserve, call to reach the Jacksonville personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine.
Define and Calculate Potential Recoverable Damages
When your loved one suffers from abuse and neglect because the Jacksonville nursing home where they live was inadequately staffed, you could have the basis of a nursing home abuse insurance claim or lawsuit for financial recovery.
Nursing home abuse cases might have the same or similar underlying causes, but the victims will each have unique outcomes. The compensation your loved one is entitled to will be specific to their case. A Jacksonville understaffing lawyer can help you define the specific type and amount of damages you might be entitled to, which can include:
- Medical care to treat any physical injuries you endured
- Mental health care to treat subsequent emotional issues
- Pain and suffering and mental distress from the abuse
If nursing home understaffing led to your loved one’s demise, your family might be able to file a wrongful death claim to cover their funeral and burial expenses—as well as the emotional trauma your family experiences because of their loss. Our team will help you define your losses and fight for the full range of recoverable expenses to which you are entitled.
How Our Nursing Home Abuse Team Will Support Your Claim
Understaffed nursing homes can lead to serious injuries for your loved one. Lack of adequate supervision can also lead to their wandering off and becoming injured. When your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse and neglect caused by understaffing, we can help you build a solid case for financial recovery. Actions we take on your behalf include:
- Demonstrating the dangers of understaffed nursing homes
- Proving the physical injuries your loved one endured
- Proving the emotional damage caused by their injuries
- Taking photos of their injuries and of the nursing home
- Interviewing other nursing home residents
- Assigning a monetary value to your claim
- Negotiating with the nursing home’s insurance company
While you focus on caring for your loved one, we take care of everything else involved in filing your claim and make sure your claim is filed on time.
File Your Nursing Home Abuse Claim as Early as Possible
Insufficient staffing can lead to dangerous outcomes for nursing home residents in Jacksonville. Once the situation is uncovered, your family might be overwhelmed with the activities that can ensure your loved one’s safety and supervision. Actions that might require your immediate attention include:
- Visiting and choosing a safer nursing home
- Comforting and supporting your elderly loved one
- Seeking necessary medical assistance for your loved one
- Reassuring family members of your loved one’s safety
While you are focused on those important activities, our team can start working on your compensation claim. In Jacksonville, you generally have as little as two years to file your nursing home abuse lawsuit, according to § 400.0236 of the Florida Statutes.
Two years can fly by quickly when there is so much to do. At the same time, it can seem like a very long time to your elderly parent or spouse. Failing to file your claim can mean you never get to file it at all. Our team can ensure your claim is reviewed, valued, and filed in time to comply with the statute of limitations.
Explore Your Nursing Home Abuse Compensation Options
The Jacksonville nursing home trusted with your loved one’s care is responsible for maintaining enough staff to supervise and support their residents. If your loved one received inadequate care because of staffing issues in their nursing home, you could have the basis of a nursing home neglect claim.
A Jacksonville understaffing lawyer can help you fight for the compensation your family deserves. Our firm goes the extra mile to provide attentive legal care and attention, so you can focus on caring for your loved one while we concentrate on building your claim. Contact the client care team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine by calling us today.
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