Protecting the Dignity and Rights of Our Seniors
Placing an elderly parent or grandparent into a nursing home or assisted living facility is one of the most difficult decisions a family can make. You place an immense amount of trust in these caregivers, expecting them to treat your loved one with the same compassion and respect that you would. When that trust is betrayed through abuse or neglect, the results are not only heartbreaking but legally actionable.
Financial compensation can never erase the trauma your loved one has endured, but it is a vital tool for securing their future safety and holding negligent parties accountable. If you suspect a loved one is suffering in a Tarrant County facility, contact a Fort Worth elder abuse lawyer at Deon Goldschmidt Attorneys immediately. We are available 24/7 to listen to your story and fight for the justice your family deserves.
Common Forms of Elder Abuse in Texas
Elder abuse is far more than just physical violence; it is a complex issue that can manifest in various ways. Understanding the specific type of mistreatment is the first step toward stopping it.
Physical Abuse
This involves the use of force that results in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. In Fort Worth nursing homes, this isn't limited to hitting or shoving. It can also include the improper use of restraints (both chemical and physical) to keep residents "quiet," rough handling during transfers, or even force-feeding.
Caregiver Neglect
Neglect is often more common than direct physical abuse, but it is just as deadly. It occurs when a caregiver fails to provide the basic necessities of life. This includes failures to provide adequate food and water (leading to dehydration and malnutrition), failure to assist with hygiene (leading to infections), and failure to turn bedridden patients (resulting in severe bedsores or pressure ulcers).
Financial Exploitation
Seniors are frequently targeted for their assets. Financial abuse involves the unauthorized or illegal use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets. In Fort Worth, we often see cases involving caregivers stealing cash or jewelry, forging signatures on checks, misusing a Power of Attorney, or coercing seniors into changing their wills or deeds to property.
Emotional and Psychological Abuse
This is the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or non-verbal acts. It includes yelling, humiliation, blaming the senior for their condition, or "gaslighting." A common tactic in abusive facilities is social isolation—preventing the elder from seeing friends or family members to hide other forms of abuse.
Sexual Abuse
This horrific crime involves any non-consensual sexual contact with an elderly person. This is particularly heinous when the victim suffers from dementia or Alzheimer's and cannot consent or effectively communicate what has happened to them.
Abandonment and Self-Neglect
Abandonment refers to the desertion of an elder by someone who has assumed responsibility for their care (e.g., dropping them off at a hospital and never returning). Self-Neglect is slightly different; it occurs when the elder’s behavior threatens their own health or safety. However, if a facility ignores signs of self-neglect, they may still be liable for failing to intervene.
Warning Signs: Is Your Loved One Being Abused?
Abuse is often hidden. Victims may be too afraid of retaliation to speak up, or unable to communicate due to cognitive decline. Family members must be vigilant. Look for these red flags during your visits:
Physical Indicators:
Unexplained bruises, welts, or scars (especially on wrists or upper arms).
Bedsores (pressure ulcers) that are not healing.
Broken eyeglasses or frames.
Signs of being restrained, such as rope marks on wrists.
Sudden weight loss or signs of dehydration (dry skin, cracked lips).
Poor hygiene, soiled bedding, or the smell of urine/feces.
Behavioral Indicators:
Sudden changes in alertness or unusual depression.
Rocking, sucking, or mumbling behaviors (signs of trauma).
Fear of being touched or flinching when a hand is raised.
Reluctance to speak in the presence of staff members.
Staff refusing to let you see the resident alone.
Financial Indicators:
Sudden changes in bank account balances.
Unexplained withdrawals from ATMs.
Missing personal items or cash from their room.
The addition of authorized names on the elder’s signature card.
$6.5 MILLION WON
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Traumatic Brain Injury
Do You Suspect Neglect in a Fort Worth Care Facility?
Reporting abuse to the authorities is a critical first step, but it is often not enough to help the victim recover or to fully punish the facility.
Criminal vs. Civil JusticeIf you report the abuse to the police or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), the state may pursue criminal charges. This can put the abuser in jail, but it does not provide financial help to the victim.
The Civil Lawsuit: Your Path to RecoveryTo cover the costs of the damage done, you need to file a civil lawsuit. This is where Deon Goldschmidt Attorneys steps in. A civil suit serves two purposes:
Compensation: It provides the funds needed to pay for medical recovery and move the elder to a safer (and often more expensive) facility.
Accountability: It hits the negligent facility where it hurts—their bank account. Large settlements force nursing home chains to change their policies to prevent future abuse.
Navigating the "Financial Conundrum"Elder abuse often creates a financial disaster. If the abuse was physical, you are facing hospital bills, rehabilitation costs, and therapy expenses. If the abuse was financial, your loved one may have been drained of their life savings. Our attorneys work to recover these losses so the burden does not fall on the family.
What Can We Recover?
Our Fort Worth legal team will conduct a thorough investigation, subpoenaing medical records, staffing logs, and security footage that families often cannot access on their own. We fight to recover:
Economic Damages: Reimbursement for all medical bills, stolen funds, property value, and the costs of relocating to a new facility.
Non-Economic Damages: Compensation for physical pain, emotional suffering, mental anguish, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
Punitive Damages: In cases of gross negligence or malicious intent, Texas law allows us to seek punitive damages. These are designed to punish the facility and send a message to the entire industry that abuse will not be tolerated.
Contact Us Today for a Free ConsultationDon't let a nursing home or caregiver get away with mistreating the people who built our community. If your loved one has suffered sores, malnutrition, falls, or financial theft, let us help.
Deon Goldschmidt Attorneys are ready to stand by your side. Call our Fort Worth office today at (214) 845-7237 for a confidential, no-obligation case review. We take these cases on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win.