Minnesota Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers

When you make the heart-wrenching decision to put your loved one into a nursing home or an assisted living center, you are trusting that facility to provide high-quality care. Yet in far too many cases, nursing homes fail to hold up their end of the bargain. Sadly, nursing home abuse and neglect remains a serious problem in Minnesota and throughout the United States.

According to a report from the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), at least ten percent of nursing home patients report that they have experienced some form of neglect or abuse. Though, sadly, the true figure is likely significantly higher than that. Nursing home neglect is chronically underreported. A shocking report from researchers at the Cornell Medical Center found that the vast majority of nursing home neglect victims never file an official report.

At the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm, our top-rated Minnesota nursing home neglect attorneys have the skills and experience needed to hold negligent nursing homes accountable for their misconduct. If you believe that your loved one was the victim of nursing home neglect, please contact our team today for immediate legal assistance.

What is Nursing Home Neglect?

The Warning Signs of Nursing Home Neglect

To protect the health and safety of your vulnerable loved one, it is imperative that you have a basic understanding of the warnings signs of nursing home neglect. There is nothing more important than protecting the health and safety of your loved one. Some common warning signs that we encourage you to watch out for include:

• Poor hygiene: The staff at the nursing home has an obligation to assist your loved one with their hygiene-related needs. When the staff fails to properly care for resident hygiene, it is not only extremely unpleasant for your loved one, but the situation can be incredibly dangerous. Poor hygiene indicates neglect.
• Unsanitary living conditions: Likewise, the overall living conditions of the facility should be sanitary. If there are unsanitary conditions, whether it is soiled bed sheets, dirty bathrooms or an uncleaned kitchen, that is not acceptable. Your loved one should not be forced to live in an unsanitary facility.
• Dehydration and weight loss: If your loved one is suddenly losing weight or suffering from symptoms of dehydration, you need to take immediate action. This could suggest an untreated underlying medical condition, or it could indicate that the staff at the facility is neglecting the residents.
• Problems with staff: If you are having any problems with, or misgivings about, the staff at the nursing home, you should investigate the matter. Staff-related problems, whether it is rude staff members, under-trained staff members or inattentive staff members, are a very bad sign. Your loved one deserves far better.
• Dangers on the premises: Finally, you should also watch out for dangerous conditions on the premises of the nursing home. For example, an unmarked wet floor, which is a problem anywhere, can be deadly at an assisted living facility. Each year, thousands of elderly people end up in the emergency room for fall accidents. Dangerous conditions on the premises is certainly a type of neglect.

Please be sure to follow up on any and all warnings signs of nursing home neglect or abuse. You need to take action to protect the health and safety of your vulnerable loved one. In an emergency situation, do not hesitate to reach out to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center or to call 911. If you have any questions or concerns about nursing home neglect and your legal options, our Minnesota nursing home abuse attorneys are always available to help.

State and Federal Regulations Protect Nursing Home Residents

Nursing home residents are protected by several different state laws and federal laws. These laws have been designed to ensure that nursing home residents receive fair treatment and that they are kept safe at licensed assisted living centers. Two of the most important laws for nursing home residents in the Twin Cities metropolitan area include:

• The 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act, which grants certain valuable legal rights to all nursing home patients nationwide; and
• Minnesota’s Health Care Bill of Rights, which provides additional state-level protections for people who reside in Minnesota.

Under these laws, assisted living facilities can be held legally liable for nursing home neglect. Though, proving liability can sometimes be challenging. As such, all nursing home neglect victims should consult with a qualified attorney. An attorney can conduct an in-depth review of your claim and help you explore your legal options.

Compensation Available to Nursing Home Neglect Victims

Under Minnesota law, nursing home neglect victims have a right to recover compensation for the full value of their damages. Unfortunately, these facilities, and their large insurance providers, work aggressively to try to deny victims and their family members the fair compensation that they rightfully deserve. Our Minneapolis-St. Paul nursing home neglect lawyers are ready to help you fight back. We will take action to protect your loved one and help them recover every penny that they are owed under the law.  Depending on the specific circumstances of your case, you may be entitled to recover compensation for:

• Costs related to relocation.
• Other incidental economic damages;
• All medical expenses;
• Pain and suffering;
• Mental distress;
• Long-term disability;
• Loss of life enjoyment;
• Wrongful death damages; and
• Punitive damages.

Contact Our Minnesota Nursing Home Neglect Attorneys Today

If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect in Minnesota, please reach out to our legal team today. At Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm, our compassionate nursing home neglect lawyers have helped many vulnerable adults get the care, attention and respect that they deserve. We are prepared to fight aggressively to hold the negligent nursing home fully liable for their misconduct.

To request a free, no obligation nursing home neglect legal consultation, please contact our team today. From our office in Plymouth, Minnesota, we represent nursing home neglect victims in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and throughout the state, including in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Woodbury, Maple Grove, Blaine and Eden Prairie.