Many Louisville area families have had to make some agonizing decisions on the care for their elderly loved one. Many older people prefer to stay at home for as long as possible.
When they are no longer able to care for themselves, they have to rely on their family to find them adequate care. A skilled nursing facility is usually best equipped to care for the elderly and these facilities are the best choice for many families.
A nursing home in Oldham County is facing its second lawsuit of the year for elder abuse. The nursing home located in Peewee Valley is facing a lawsuit that claims a former nursing assistant abused employees and residents and management did not do anything to address the problem.
The nursing assistant is accused of sexually assaulting a resident in 2017 to the point where the resident was bleeding. A previous lawsuit filed in December 2018 accused the nursing assistant of sexually assaulting and harassing at least four female nurses at the facility.
Managers at the facility ignored claims of the workplace sexual harassment which if they would have been investigated may have led to his firing before he engaged in abuse of the resident. Both lawsuits are still pending.
When a family places their loved one in a nursing home they assume the facility will take the best possible care of their family member. Most of the time this is the case but occasionally abuse happens. It is important for a family to recognize the signs of elder abuse and if they spot anything that looks suspicious notify authorities and contact an attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse. An attorney can help the family get answers as to what happened to their loved one and who is at fault. Compensation may be available for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages.
Nursing homes and their staff have a duty to provide the best possible care to their residents. When this doesn’t occur and abuse is allowed to take place a family can hold the facility responsible for their negligence.
