New York Home Caregiver Abuse Attorneys

As people get older or they become ill and they reach a point where they can no longer care for themselves, they need to make some difficult decisions.  One of those decisions involves restoring a level of safety and stability to their lives considering the fact that the days that they spend alone or without qualified and professional help can be filled with risk.  Some people choose to move into a nursing home or an assisted living center while others decide to do what they can to remain in their homes given the obvious comfort and familiarity advantages.  The right choice is different for everyone, but generally speaking those who hire in-home care tend to feel better about their circumstances.

Sadly, not everyone who chooses this route winds up with a caregiver who provides them with the level of attention and the type of treatment that they both need and deserve, and this is a problem that seems to be getting worse.  Unfortunately, studies have shown that people who are abused by caregivers, whether this abuse occurs in their homes or in assisted living facilities, do not tend to report this problem as it’s occurring, and this leaves it up to those close to the abuse survivors to notice that something is wrong and to do something about it.

People who suspect that something is wrong with the treatment of a loved one in this context need to trust their instincts and explore the problem further.  There are certain warning signs that tend to arise more often than others, and examples of these warning signs include:

  • Changes in the personality of that loved one
  • The appearance of unexplained physical injuries
  • Being told too often that the loved one is unavailable for visitors with no real explanation
  • Items going missing around that person’s home
  • A deterioration of the general state of health for that person
  • A deterioration of the general state of personal hygiene for that person
  • Sudden financial difficulties

There are other warning signs that can and will arise, but people who understand the person who is obtaining in-home care need to act quickly if they sense that something is wrong.  Since this type of abuse often occurs with no witnesses, it can be very difficult for someone who does not possess a legal background to understand how to prove that this is happening.

That’s why the best step to take as soon as someone suspects this type of mistreatment is to contact New York elder abuse lawyers who have handled these matters in the past and who will understand how to proceed given the circumstances that exist at the time.  The following steps could include contacting law enforcement or contacting the agency through which the in-home caregiver was hired, or it could involve some other step that will bring about an end to the abuse as quickly as possible.

If you have a loved one who hires an in-home caregiver, you should not assume that everything will be fine and as a result dismiss concerns that you may have.  Instead, you should follow up on those concerns to make sure that this person is not being placed in a situation of danger.  If you encounter these suspicions, contact The Fitzgerald Law Firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.