Nursing Home Abuse in South Bay

Near the southern tip of Florida’s immense Lake Okeechobee, South Bay is the westernmost city that makes up the metropolitan area of South Florida. Situated at the junction of major north/south and east/west highways, the Palm Beach County community retains its small town charm but offers convenient access to the cosmopolitan amenities of the Treasure Coast. While South Bay’s population numbers around 4,000 people, more than ten times that number reside within about a 25-mile radius.

At Freeman Injury Law, our South Bay nursing home neglect lawyers have seen fast growth change many Palm Beach County communities, but we know that South Bay still offers the peaceful, small-town living that appeals to many. Still, our elder abuse attorneys know, that even in America’s small towns, vulnerable, elderly citizens can be targeted for abuse by unscrupulous and uncaring individuals.

Our South Bay elder abuse attorneys know that across the U.S., older Americans fall prey to physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuses every day. Official estimates tell us that as many as 5 million elderly Americans lose their hard-earned money because of financial exploitation. Sadly, many also see their lives deteriorate into a cycle of self-neglect. In fact, self-neglect is one of the most prevalent and rapidly increasing types of abuse harming the elderly today.

Older individuals who are no longer able to care for themselves often make their way into one of the nation’s 17,000 nursing homes. The nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at our firm know that skilled nursing facilities may not offer elderly residents the safe shelter and professional levels of care they hope to find. We know that here in Florida and nationwide, more than 9 out of 10 nursing facilities receive citations for deficiencies in the care they provide. Nursing homes are inspected regularly by government licensing agencies. Here in Florida, that agency is the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration. Major deficiencies for which AHCA has most recently cited nursing homes include:

• Failure to meet professional standards of care
• Failure to procure, store, prepare and serve food properly
• Failure to maintain appropriate infection control measures
• Failure to develop and review/revise resident care plans
• Failure to ensure that residents’ medication regimens are free of unnecessary drugs

That list describes just a few of the deficiencies the AHCA has uncovered. The South Bay nursing home neglect lawyers in our firm know that such problems with resident care can unleash a storm of health issues and potentially life-threatening conditions for frail elderly nursing home residents. Substandard care can lead to the spread of infections, increased numbers of falls, and development of bedsores because residents aren’t helped to change position in bed. When bedsores form and worsen, they can admit bacteria to the body. In turn, residents’ immune systems try to battle that bacteria, but can over-react and cause the potentially lethal infection sepsis. Elderly individuals are among the highest risk groups for sepsis, according to the National Institutes of Health. Some 750,000 elderly people and other vulnerable individuals develop the condition each year. The NIH reports that as many as half of those people will lose their lives to sepsis.

When you believe that an elderly family member or friend may be at risk for harm because of abuse or nursing home neglect, call the South Bay nursing home abuse attorneys at Freeman Injury Law. Residents of South Bay and communities throughout South Florida have made our firm their choice when elderly loved ones need strong advocates who aren’t afraid to stand up to negligent nursing homes and other abusers. We’ll pursue compensation for your loved one’s suffering, and we’ll see that those responsible for abuse and neglect are held accountable for their actions. Call our firm today and ask for a free consultation. We’re on your side.

Freeman Injury Law – (800) 561-7777 -- Someone on YOUR Side