St. Louis Elder Abuse Lawyer

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Elderly individuals have lived full lives and deserve skilled, compassionate care with respect for their human dignity. Unfortunately, senior citizens are medically and cognitively fragile, leaving them vulnerable to abuse. At Miller & Hine, our St. Louis elder abuse attorneys provide highly qualified representation for victims and their families. Contact us today.

St. Louis elder abuse lawyer

Understanding Forms of Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is prevalent in Missouri and elsewhere, becoming a growing problem partly because many elderly abuse victims are physically or cognitively incapable of reporting the abuse. Other seniors do not report their abuse due to feelings of shame or embarrassment. In some cases, involving a St. Louis personal injury lawyer can help families recognize the signs of abuse and take legal action to protect their loved ones.

About 5 million elderly Americans experience abuse each year. Sadly, elder abuse is a growing problem in Missouri, with the state receiving an alarming 115 reports of elder abuse each day, including elder abuse cases in St. Louis.

Elder abuse in St. Louis and elsewhere occurs in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in private homes. The abuse typically takes one of the following five forms.

Neglect:

Neglect occurs when caregivers do not adequately meet an elderly individual’s needs for adequate hydration, nutrition, hygiene, and medical care, leading to malnutrition, dehydration, untreated infections, and medication mistakes. Abandonment is also a form of elder neglect. Elder neglect causes illness, depression, shortened lifespan, and sometimes wrongful death.

Physical Abuse:

Physical abuse occurs when a caregiver, family member, or visitor physically assaults an elder, including hitting, punching, pushing, kicking, pinching, or using unlawful physical restraints. Physical abuse causes serious injuries and often results in a swift physical and emotional decline and death.

Emotional Abuse:

Emotional abuse of the elderly occurs through bullying, belittling, berating, threatening, intimidating, infantilizing, or intentionally isolating a senior. Elder abuse studies indicate that emotional abuse can lead to shortened life expectancy as well as increased depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal.

Financial Abuse:

Financial abuse occurs when an individual or organization financially exploits a senior citizen for financial gain. Elder financial abuse often occurs through unauthorized access to financial accounts, fraudulent transactions, financial cons, or by gaining access to an elder’s home, car, and personal belongings.

Sexual Abuse:

Sexual abuse is the least reported form of elder abuse, but is widely believed to be underreported because it most commonly occurs to elderly victims who are physically or cognitively unable to report their abuse.

What Are the Damages In St. Louis Elder Abuse Cases?

When an aging Missouri resident suffers a decline in physical or emotional health or a shortened lifespan and wrongful death due to any form of abuse, the elderly survivor or the family members of a deceased elderly loved one may file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party. Our St. Louis nursing home wrongful death attorneys can assist with this type of claim. Common responsible parties in elder abuse cases include nursing home and assisted living facility administrators or staff members, home-health caregivers, and individuals who abuse or neglect an elderly person. A successful claim recovers damages such as the following:

Wrongful death benefits, including funeral and burial expenses, and compensation for emotional grief and anguish, loss of companionship, or the loss of a parent’s guidance and support, may be awarded to the family members of the victim of fatal elder abuse. A civil claim for damages in elder abuse cases proceeds independently of any criminal charges in the abuse case. Our St. Louis wrongful death lawyers can assist you with this claim.