Sadly, when people age, they become more vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Some families turn to nursing homes, personal care homes or long-term care facilities to ensure that our loved ones are well cared for, and will be protected from the effects of their deteriorating physical and/or mental conditions. In these settings, unfortunately, older people are sometimes actually physically or psychologically harmed by the negligent or intentional acts of their caregivers.

In institutional settings, such as nursing homes or personal care facilities, several factors have been shown to contribute to the abuse or neglect of residents, including:

• poorly qualified and inadequately trained staff
• staff with a history of violence
• inadequate numbers of staff
• the isolation of residents
• reluctance of residents to report abuse out of embarrassment or fear.

For all of these reasons above, it is both an honor and a challenge to represent the elderly and their families in personal injury litigation. Specifically, these cases present the challenge of overcoming a tendency on the part of others, including insurance adjusters and even physicians, to discount an elderly person's injuries and the diminished quality of life that results from them.

If you suspect that a loved one is not being properly taken care of or they have suffered an injury that you believe was caused by the negligence of their caregiver, contact Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak today at (800) 351-8334.

Our law firm is dedicated to the care and well being of our aging citizens. Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak handles all matters related to elder law and estate planning. Please call us today if you have any questions concerning long-term care, planning for long-term care, nursing home abuse or personal care home neglect.