New Mexico residents sometimes need the services of nursing homes to help them with their health care needs. It is often the preferred choice of health care for the elderly who need long-term medical care and attention. People put a lot of trust in the nursing home staff and health care professionals at these facilities.
In a case in which the nursing home staff is not only negligent toward elderly and sick patients, but is also abusive of the residents, there are various legal actions that the abused victim’s family can take. In some cases, the patients in nursing homes are physically, emotionally and sexually abused. Many residents do not have any support or are afraid to report the abuse for fear of repercussions. However, New Mexico authorities have established various legal actions against such unscrupulous and abusive nursing home staff members.
Many cases of nursing home abuse are discovered by family members and friends who visit residents regularly. Some of the obvious signs of nursing home abuse are bedsores and other physical signs of abuse and neglect. In other cases, the family can spot emotional and psychological signs if the patient has become unnaturally reticent or quiet and withdrawn.
If the family notices these types of signs, the resident’s family members have several legal options from which to choose. They can report the abuse to the nursing home authorities and management, or even take legal action in civil court. Unfortunately, cases of nursing home abuse are often reported and discovered only after the resident has already suffered the abuse or has died due to the nursing home neglect and abuse.