Retirement should be a time for the elderly to relax and enjoy life. Assisted living facilities like Carolina Gardens provide extra care to people who need it. However, like many assisted living facilities, abuse and neglect may occur at Carolina Gardens. While not always intentional, or due to the wrongful actions of one or a few staff members of Carolina Gardens, victims should be able to recover compensation for harms they endure.
Hughey Law Firm takes Carolina Gardens abuse and neglect cases seriously and is dedicated to helping victims recover the compensation they deserve. Our firm has successfully made claims against Carolina Gardens Assisted Living Facilities before. If Carolina Gardens injured you or a loved one, do not hesitate to reach out to our nursing home abuse lawyers at the Hughey Law Firm for legal help.
Services That Carolina Gardens Promises (but Doesn’t Always Provide)
Carolina Gardens is home to people who start to need help with daily activities. They may struggle to bathe or brush their teeth on their own. Carolina Gardens may aid residents in eating, dressing, and walking.
At Carolina Gardens, residents should expect medication assistance and on-site visits from medical providers. The facility should meet their health needs daily. Staff at the facilities should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Like many assisted living facilities, residents can remain active with various activities. They should get three meals a day in dining rooms. Residents of Carolina Gardens should not need to worry about the maintenance of their living quarters. They should expect to spend time in large communal areas to socialize with other residents.
Loved ones should feel safe at the Carolina Gardens Assisted Living Facilities. However, this doesn’t always happen.
We’ve seen these facilities and their employees fail in their core mission to keep the elderly safe from further injuries. When it has, injured residents have contacted Hughey Law Firm. We stepped in held Carolina Gardens accountable for actions and inactions that produced avoidable injuries to the vulnerable, elderly residents in their care.
If Carolina Gardens injured you or your loved one, call us. We will keep pressing cases against Carolina Gardens until they learn to step up and provide the care its residents paid for—and deserve. Contact us online or by phone at (843) 881-8644 to discuss your case with an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer today.
Examples of Potential Neglect at Carolina Gardens
Sometimes, accidents occur at assisted living facilities like Carolina Gardens.
Common examples include:
- Social and emotional neglect. At Carolina Gardens, residents should have the opportunity to make new connections. They can form bonds with staff members and other people living there. However, staff may fail to foster interaction and may even isolate residents. The failure to aid residents with social interaction can lead to serious psychological and emotional harm.
- Neglect of personal hygiene. Carolina Gardens staff have a duty of care when it comes to the hygiene of residents. If a staff member does not check on a resident, it could lead to hygiene neglect. For instance, a resident could go unbathed for an inordinate amount of time. Even the lack of fresh clothing can pose health risks.
- Unmet basic living needs. Living needs include a proper facility temperature, clean bedrooms, tidy common rooms, and healthy food. Some residents end up dehydrated, overheated, or too cold when staff or administrators fail to maintain living needs.
- Poor medical care. Many residents of Carolina Gardens require certain medical care or medications. A staff member may fail to administer a proper dosage. Improper care for existing health issues and unreported illnesses count as medical neglect.
Potential Causes of Carolina Gardens Negligence
Abuse or neglect may occur at Carolina Gardens for many reasons. Many assisted living facilities face common problems, like inadequate staffing. The quality of care for residents in a facility can go down if the facility is insufficiently staffed.
When a facility is understaffed, the present staff may deal with an increased workload. As a result, they might not have time to fulfill all of their duties. The stress of the job could cause a staff member stress, leading them to take out their frustrations on a resident. An assisted living facility must maintain adequate staff to ensure residents receive high-quality care.
Another cause of neglect may be in the hiring practices. Carolina Gardens and other living facilities should conduct proper background checks of their employees. Occasionally, however, facilities hire someone who is not qualified for the job. The employee may be more likely to abuse or neglect residents.
Background checks help with ensuring quality staff to take care of residents. However, issues can still arise if employers do not provide correct training. Staff members may not fully know how to care for many of the residents right away. Neglect could happen as a result of inadequate training. Cases of medication error could arise, and some employees might not know how to meet basic needs.
Warning Signs of Neglect
You should know the signs of abuse if you or a loved one resides in Carolina Gardens.
Warning signs include:
- Bedsores. Also known as pressure sores, they could indicate a resident is not moved around enough. Bed-bound individuals are likely to get bedsores if the staff fails to assist them.
- Bruises. Bruises could come from staff members or other residents. A slip and fall can lead to bruises as well.
- Broken bones. A broken bone could be a sign of an unsafe environment. A resident may have fallen without a railing to keep them steady.
- A worsening health condition. Without regular checkups, a resident could get a new infection or illness. Failure to tend to an existing medical problem could cause a resident’s health decline.
- Emotionally withdrawn. Some assisted living facility victims appear agitated, and others are more withdrawn. They might not communicate with family and friends as often as before.
You may notice signs of possible abuse in the staff members as well. An employee may display a negative attitude toward one or more residents. Prescriptions with conflicting medications could indicate medical neglect.
What to Do if You Suspect Neglect
Many residents do not say anything about their neglect. They may not know who to talk to or fear retaliation. When you suspect neglect, collect as much evidence of it as possible. You can take photos and try to get the victim’s side of the story.
Consult an experienced assisted living facility lawyer at the Hughey Law Firm if you or a loved one experienced abuse or neglect at Carolina Gardens. You could have a valid claim if staff members or administrators breached their duty of care, resulting in injuries to you or your loved one. You would also need to prove how the injuries led to the damages you are claiming.
Hughey Law Firm Is Here to Help
Hughey Law Firm has succeeded in claims against Carolina Gardens Assisted Living Facilities in the past.
Each case is different, but our firm can assess the viability of your claim and provide an estimate of what your settlement might be worth. Contact us or dial (843) 881-8644 to get started on your Carolina Gardens Assisted Living claim today.
Hughey Law Firm LLC
1311 Chuck Dawley Blvd. | Suite 201
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: 843-881-8644