When it is time to place an elder loved one under the care of someone else, whether that is an in-home caregiver or a nursing home, choosing the caregiver or nursing facility is extremely difficult, but extremely important. When you place your elder loved one under the care of a caregiver or nursing home, you are placing a tremendous amount of faith and trust in that person or facility to take care of your family member in the most personal way, and with the level of care and compassion that they deserve. Unfortunately, sometimes this trust turns out to be misplaced. In these cases, your elder loved one may be neglected or abused; the worst-case scenario is that the abuse or neglect causes the death of your elder loved one.
In this event, your primary focus will obviously be on caring for the emotional well-being of your family, and grieving the loss of one of your own. If you see signs that your loved one was abused by his or her caregiver, don’t ignore those signs. Some people may feel that with the person gone, there is no reason to raise a fuss, but the caregiver who hurt your loved one may be hurting others as well. If abuse was going on, by holding the person responsible you may be protecting other elders and their families from experiencing the pain that your family has suffered. Furthermore, the memory of your loved one deserves the dignity and respect of knowing what happened to cause their early death, and the peace of mind of knowing that if someone negligently caused that early death they will not be able to hurt another family in that way.
As with the death of any family member, there are certain practical considerations that need to be attended: funeral arrangements need to be made or finalized; there may be a will to execute, which may involve probate; and of course all of the details that go along with those arrangements. If you believe that abuse was involved in the death, then you should add to the list of practical arrangements speaking with an experienced wrongful death attorney.
A Colorado wrongful death attorney who has experience working with cases of elder abuse and neglect can help you understand your rights, as well as how you can work with the legal system to recover damages for your loss. Obviously, nothing can reverse the pain and sense of loss that your family feels, but you should never have to experience financial hardship due to the negligence of another person. Rhett Meyer is a Boulder wrongful death attorney who has worked with the families of abused elders to recover the dignity and respect they deserve, as well as the financial compensation to cover any financial loss caused by that abuse. Rhett has worked with people all over Colorado and understands the needs and difficulties of families who are experiencing this painful loss. For more information and a free consultation, contact Rhett at (303)444-1618.
