• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • WHO WE ARE
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • News and Events
  • Areas We Serve
    • Essex County, MA
      • Andover
      • Beverly
      • North Andover
    • Hillsborough County, NH
      • Manchester
      • Nashua
    • Middlesex County, MA
      • Concord
      • Lexington
      • Wakefield
      • Winchester
      • Woburn
    • Rockingham County, NH
      • Exeter
      • Londonderry
      • Salem
  • Services
    • Asset & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate And Gift Tax Figures
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning Services
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Loss Of A Loved One
    • Pet Planning
    • Power Of Attorney
    • Probate and Trust Administration
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Young Families
  • Elder Law
    • Coping with Alzheimer’s
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Nursing Home Planning
  • Resources
    • Elder Law
      • Elder Law & Medicaid Definitions
      • Elder law reports
      • Elder Law Resources
        • Elder Law Resources – Londonderry, New Hampshire
        • Elder Law Resources North Andover, Massachusetts
        • Nashua, New Hampshire Elder Law Resources
        • Woburn, MA Elder Law Resources
    • Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning Articles
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
        • Advanced Estate Planning
        • Basic Estate Planning
        • Estate Planning for Niches
        • Trust Administration
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Asset Protection Planning
      • Business Planning
      • Charitable Gifting
      • Estate Planning
      • Elder Law
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Incapacity Planning
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Wills and Trusts
    • Medicaid Calculator
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Probate and Trust Administration
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss Of A Loved One
      • Probate Resources
        • Nashua, New Hampshire Probate Resources
        • Probate Resources – Londonderry, New Hampshire
        • Probate Resources – North Andover, MA
        • Probate Resources – Wakefield, Massachusetts
        • Woburn, MA Probate Resources
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Published Books
  • Seminars
    • Live Seminars
    • Online Seminars
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us

DeBruyckere Law Offices, PC

Serving Southern New Hampshire & Essex Country, Massachussetts

Call us today(603) 894-4141

(978) 969-0331

Online Seminars
Attend Free Seminar
Home » Elder Law » Can a Massachusetts Elder Law Attorney Help Me with a Complaint about a Nursing Home?

Can a Massachusetts Elder Law Attorney Help Me with a Complaint about a Nursing Home?

August 18, 2016Elder Law

Massachusetts elder law attorney

The realization that a loved one needs around the clock care is difficult to accept. Whether it is a spouse, a parent, or a close family member, it is never easy to admit that you cannot provide the level of care that a loved one requires. Once you have accepted that reality though, the equally difficult task of finding a nursing home begins. Deciding on a facility can take weeks, even months, because you want to be sure you have selected the best possible place for your loved one. What happens though, if down the road you begin to suspect that your loved one is being abused and/or neglected at the nursing home? You may feel as though your worst nightmare has come true and you are not sure who to turn to for help. If you find yourself in this situation, a Massachusetts elder law attorney may be able to help.

Elder Abuse – a National Crisis on the Horizon

Sadly, elder abuse is not a new phenomenon; however, it has gained a considerable amount of attention in recent years because it is a growing problem in the United States. In fact, with the elderly population (age 65 and older) in the U.S. set to outnumber its younger counterpart (21 and under) by the year 2050, the problem of elder abuse and neglect may become a national crisis if not addressed now. Consider the following statistics”

  • 1 in 10 older Americans has suffered some form of abuse
  • Almost 90 percent of the perpetrators of abuse are family members
  • Less than 1 in 14 incidences of elder abuse or neglect are reported
  • Less than 1 in 25 incidences of financial exploitation is reported

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Facts and Figures

Elder abuse and neglect can occur in any type of setting, including in a victim’s own home. In fact, a significant percentage of elder abuse is perpetuated by family members. Elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes though is also a common occurrence for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Lack of proper oversight
  • Large staff turnover
  • Failure to properly screen employees
  • Patients are more isolated
  • Patients are dependent on staff, making them less likely to complain
  • High percentage of patients suffer from Alzheimer’s or other dementia conditions
  • Law enforcement agencies don’t investigate complaints thoroughly
  • Punishment is not harsh enough if caught

As a result, the facts and figures relating to elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes are startling – and these figures are likely on the conservative side because so many incidences of elder abuse/neglect are not reported. The following facts and figures, however, highlight the extent of the very real problem of nursing home abuse and neglect in the U.S.:

  • The number of people in long-term care in the U.S. has increased five-fold from about one million in the year 2000 to 5 million in the year 2016.
  • By the year 2050, 27 million people will live in a long-term care setting
  • 1 in 3 nursing homes have been cited for a federal violation that has the potential to cause harm or that has caused harm.
  • 44 % of nursing home residents admitted they had been abused
  • 95 % admitted to being neglected or seeing someone else be neglected
  • 50 % of nursing home staff admitted to mistreating older patients
  • 17% of CNAs had pushed, grabbed, or shoved a nursing home resident.
  • 1 in 3 reports of abuse involve physical abuse
  • 14 % of the complaints filed against nursing homes are for gross neglect

How a Massachusetts Elder Law Attorney May Be Able to Help

If you suspect that your loved one is being abused and/or neglected in a nursing home, you can do something about it. Along with reporting your suspicions to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, consult with an experienced Massachusetts elder law attorney right away. Your elder law attorney can help you petition for guardianship over your loved one if necessary to get him/her out of the nursing home. Furthermore, you may have the basis for a civil lawsuit against the nursing home for neglect. The important thing is to seek help immediately because if you suspect that your loved one is being victimized the sooner you discuss your legal options with an elder law attorney the sooner you can remedy the situation.

Contact Us

If you believe your love done is being abused and/or neglected in a Massachusetts nursing home, contact the experienced Massachusetts elder law attorneys at Debruyckere Law Offices right away by calling (603) 894-4141 or (978) 969-0331 to schedule an appointment.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Daniel DeBruyckere
Daniel DeBruyckere
Attorney Daniel A. DeBruyckere has been practicing law in New Hampshire and Massachusetts since 1998, and has helped hundreds of clients with their estate planning and elder care issues. He is very well respected in the area of estate planning, probate, trust administration, elder law issues, and business planning.
Daniel DeBruyckere
Latest posts by Daniel DeBruyckere (see all)
  • Do I Need an Attorney to Administer a Trust? - January 26, 2023
  • How Using a Trust Can Protect a Valuable Inheritance - January 24, 2023
  • What Seniors Need to Know to Protect Assets - January 19, 2023

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Beverly elder law attorney
What You Need to Know about Osteoporosis
Elder abuse
When a Family Member Commits Elder Abuse
elder care
Planning for Elder Care
North Andover elder law attorneys
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
financial abuse
How to Protect an Older Loved One from Financial Abuse
Beverly elder law attorneys
When Is Guardianship the Best Solution?

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube
  • Instagram

Blog Subscribe

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Testimonials

DeBruyckere Law Offices, PC footer

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
footer-logo

© 2023 DeBruyckere Law Offices
All Right Reseved.

Attorney Advertisement

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.