Enforced Isolation

The U.S. Census projects that there will be considerable growth in our older population at least through 2050. This means that more and more Americans will likely spend at least a portion of their final years in a nursing home, assisted living center, or long-term care facility. Sadly, people who are confined to nursing homes are not always given the care, attention, or treatment that they deserve. If you suspect that your loved one has been mistreated or neglected, Rockland County nursing home abuse lawyer Valerie J. Crown is here to assist you. Valerie can be reached 24/7 through her cell phone at 845.598.8253. She is committed to being available for her clients whenever they need to discuss their situation. Our office provides the broad range of resources that a larger firm can provide while offering each client personal attention and advocacy tailored to their individual needs.

Social isolation may be a serious problem in the nursing home environment. Residents are already removed from their home and loved ones, so they need regular contact with others once they have been confined to a facility. However, either out of neglect or through a pattern of abuse, some nursing home residents experience a marked lack of contact with their peers and others with whom other residents regularly interact. The result may be loneliness, fear of others, negative self-esteem, and other emotional or psychological issues. Social isolation is also often an indication that a nursing home suffers from other problems, such as patterns of physical or sexual abuse.

In order to assert your rights and receive compensation for your loved one’s harm, it is usually necessary to make a negligence claim against those responsible for their enforced social isolation and any associated mistreatment. Negligence cases have four elements, known as duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. They may be filed against individuals, such as a particular nurse or another employee who directly caused the victim’s harm, but the facility itself is often a defendant as well. The facility may be held directly liable for its own actions or inactions, such as a failure to train or properly screen employees prior to hiring them, or vicariously liable for the negligent conduct of its staff.

Some nursing home negligence cases arise in the area of medical malpractice, which is a form of negligence that requires expert testimony as to the standard of care and whether that standard was violated. Finding a knowledgeable doctor, nurse, or other professional to review a patient’s medical records and testify in court is essential, so it is important to contact a nursing home negligence attorney as soon as possible when you suspect abuse or neglect to make sure that a timely investigation may be made. Also, there are statutes of limitations that apply, limiting the time for bringing a personal injury case or claim, based on a loved one’s enforced isolation in a nursing home or assisted living center.

You should not need to worry that a loved one has been a victim of enforced isolation in a nursing home or another long-term care facility. At the Law Offices of Valerie J. Crown, P.C., we are available to assist you 24/7. All you need to do is call us at 845.708.5900, contact us online, or call Valerie’s cell phone at 845.598.8253. Rockland County nursing home abuse attorney Valerie J. Crown serves victims and their families throughout Greater New York, including in Westchester, Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange Counties. The consultation is free, and cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. This means that we get paid only from a settlement or judgment when the case is completed, so there is no reason to hesitate in consulting injury lawyer Valerie J. Crown.