New Jersey Home Health Aide Abuse Lawyers
Experienced NJ Attorneys Hold Home Health Aides Liable For Negligence And Abuse Of The Patients They Care For in Hudson County, Union County, and Throughout NJ
If your loved one has been living with a disability but they would like to remain in their home, a home health aide is an individual who can give them the support they need so that they can remain capable of caring for themselves and remaining happy in their home for quite some time. Unfortunately, sometimes the parties that we put our trust into end up being parties that we cannot trust with our loved one’s care. Even when home health aides seem like one of the most cost-effective and comfortable situations for many elderly patients, they can bring turmoil and tragedy when you discover that your loved one might have fallen victim to abuse.
Even if you believe that a home health aide has many benefits for your loved one, they are also in a unique position to take advantage of your elderly loved one the moment they are invited into their home. Many home health aides act as caretakers in an assisted living facility would act, with power over your loved one’s finances and the ability to earn trust through those around them so that they can put your loved one in an uncomfortable position as they take advantage of them on physical, emotional abuse, and financial levels. Elder abuse at the hands of home aides is becoming a more common prospect than ever imagined, with one in ten people falling victim to some type of abuse.
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Our experienced attorneys at Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari are committed to protecting your loved one and putting an end to abuse that happens at the hands of professional home health aides who claim that they have your loved one’s best interests at heart. We will fight passionately and aggressively to protect your loved one’s rights and stand by your side when you need us most.
The Many Types of Care Provided by Home Health Aides
By understanding the types of care that a home health aide provides for your loved one, you can more easily determine how quickly they can fall victim to abuse by an aide who promises to protect them and help them with daily activities. The first aspect that you should understand is that home health aides are not licensed medical professionals like doctors and nurses who assist our loved ones every day. Instead, they are only hired to provide care that is non-medical to your loved one and assist them with many duties around their home so that they can remain living in their home with their possessions. Some of the activities that they help with include bathing and dressing, meal preparation and eating, transferring a loved one from one place to the next, and safely using the restroom.
Your loved one will typically benefit from a home health aide in many ways when a disability or worsening condition has made it difficult for them to function on their own. Your loved one will still receive care from a medical professional, but this type of care is not provided by the home health aide.
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If You Believe Your Loved One Has Fallen Victim to Abuse
Because your loved one might be in a vulnerable position when a home health aide is welcomed into their home, it is imperative to be aware of the signs of abuse so that you can protect your loved one from harm. In almost all cases, home health aides are hired in New Jersey through agencies that use many standards when hiring somebody for this particular line of work. They will usually properly screen all individuals who go through the hiring process so that those who do not have proper training or those who have records of criminal abuse will not end up taking care of your loved one. However, sometimes an agency still acts negligently in this process in the following ways:
- Allowing a health aide to accept more patients than they are able to care for
- Hiring home aides without proper screening
- Hiring home aides who are willing to work for little pay
- Providing little to no training on procedures to health aides
- Failing to hire supervisors who are trained in identifying abuse
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“I just wanted to take some time to thank you and your team for all your help in the last 3 1/2 years. Your confidence, professionalism, knowledge, and efficiency in resolving this case have been greatly appreciated by my family and I. ”
“You exhibited a genuine caring for my predicament and the outcome. These are all qualities that are prized in any professional relationship.”
Contact a New Jersey Home Health Aide Abuse Attorney at Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari Today — We Will Help You Obtain Maximum Compensation Following a New Jersey Home Health Aide Abuse Accident
As more and more elderly people from our time age and find that they are unable to take care of certain tasks on their own, the need for home health aides rises. Perhaps you have spoken to your loved one and believe that, based on the information they have told you or what you have witnessed with your own eyes, your loved one is being abused by a home health aide who was hired to care for them. At Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari, we will fight aggressively on your loved one’s behalf so that you can get started on your case and the investigation that will determine what happens next in the midst of your claim. Contact us to find out how we can make a difference in your case by filling out our brief online contact form here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Health Aide Abuse
In some cases, if the home health aide is an actual employee, the employer can be held liable under a theory known as vicarious liability. The agency might try to avoid liability in this way but, if you can show that the relationship was much like an employer/employee relationship where set hours were present and certain tasks were expected of the aide on a daily basis, you could still hold the agency liable for its actions.
Home health aides who wish to be certified in New Jersey must go through a process that consists of a specialized training course, competency evaluation, criminal background checks, and being supervised by a professional nurse. If a person is not certified, they should not be working for a home health aide agency.
