Hancock County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
The tenants of nursing homes in Hancock County often require help caring for their everyday needs. As a result, these people are more vulnerable to harm from negligence and abuse.
Every nursing home must care for the wellbeing of its residents. This includes both a responsibility to provide competent nursing care and the duty to prevent all foreseeable harm. Unfortunately, mistreatment by staff members is a leading cause of harm for nursing home residents. Not only are the perpetrators of these acts liable for any resulting injury, but the nursing home may also be responsible for poor hiring, training, or supervising of its employees.
A Hancock County nursing home abuse lawyer may be able to help you seek justice following instances of abuse to your loved one. A compassionate personal injury attorney could explain a resident’s rights under the law and take the necessary steps to demand appropriate compensation.
Rights of Hancock County Nursing Home Residents
Assisted living facility residents are often unable to care for their day-to-day needs and may require medical supervision. Since these residents are in a vulnerable position, there are laws in place to keep them safe.
The Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, is a set of federal regulations enacted under Medicare and provides protections for all residents of nursing home facilities. These protections include the right to be free from discrimination, to dignity and respect, and to be free from abuse and neglect.
A nursing home that allows employees to abuse residents violates these regulations. The Mississippi Long Term Care Ombudsman Program can help to investigate instances of abuse. However, working with a Hancock County nursing home abuse attorney could help residents and their families demand compensation directly from the responsible party.
Assisted Living Facility Requirements
Every nursing home in Hancock County must care for its residents. This requires staff to provide for basic needs, such as food and medication, as well as prevent all foreseeable harm to residents.
Since many residents are in an infirm physical state or may not have the full mental capacity to understand they are being harmed, they are at an increased risk of potential abuse. It is the responsibility of the assisted living facility to hire responsible staff members.
Mississippi Code §43-11-13(5)(b) states that no nursing home or assisted care facility may hire a worker who has a criminal conviction for various illegal acts. These include:
- Possession or sale of drugs
- Armed robbery
- Rape
- Child abuse
- Grand larceny
- Aggravated assault
- Felonious abuse or battery
This law places the burden on a nursing home to perform a background check on all potential employees. An attorney in Hancock County could argue that an assisted living facility that failed to perform this duty and should be held liable for any abuses committed by their employees
Contact a Hancock County Nursing Home Abuse Attorney for Guidance
Every senior citizen in a long-term care facility deserves to live free from abuse by staff members. Despite state laws that require these facilities to perform background checks on all workers, severe mistreatment can and often does still happen.
If your loved one was mistreated while a resident in a care facility, a Hancock County nursing home abuse attorney may be able to help. A dedicated attorney could work to hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions. Schedule a free consultation today.
