Admitting your elderly loved one into a nursing home can be a difficult decision, but when you can no longer take care of them, or when they can no longer care for themselves, it could be the only option that you have left. With how tough that decision is, you can be comforted thinking that your family member will be provided with expert care and always attended to.
Unfortunately, that might not always be the case with every long-term care facility. No matter how much research and planning you did, the home that you chose for your loved one could end up causing them harm. When they have experienced neglect or abuse in their facility, you want to report it so that the negligent party is held accountable and it doesn’t happen to any other residents.
Let’s take a look at who you report nursing home abuse to in Minnesota.
Minnesota Elderly Abuse Reporting
Older Americans are one of the most vulnerable populations. While they are adults who have taken care of themselves for most of their lives, when they enter a nursing home, they have reached a point where they need another person’s help. This puts them in the position where the other person who is supposed to care for them has the power to decide whether they’re going to help them or harm them.
According to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC), there were nearly 78,000 allegations of abuse and neglect for adults in 2018. The most common type of abuse that was reported was caregiver abuse, followed by self-neglect, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and then sexual abuse was the least common. That’s why it’s so important to know how to report nursing home abuse—staff can end up causing residents more harm than good in their facilities.
As a family member of a nursing home resident, you might witness this abuse when you’re visiting, or your loved one could tell you that they’ve experienced it while you weren’t there. Your first step should be speaking with the staff member in charge of the facility. That way, you can try to have it sorted out internally. But if they ignore your complaint, you will have to report it to the proper authorities.
In Minnesota, there used to be multiple hotlines and places to report nursing home abuse. Thankfully, now there is only one place for you to report any suspected or witnessed abuse or neglect to—MAARC. If you want to report the incident by phone, you can call 844-880-1574. If you want to make the report online, you can do it here.
Once you file, they will handle the rest of the process and oversee your claim. You could still use the help of other people for a claim. Let’s take a look at who else you could report nursing home abuse to in Minnesota.
For a legal consultation, call 612-349-2729
Other Resources
While MAARC is the main entity you need to report nursing home abuse to, there are other parties who can help you with your claim. One of these people is an ombudsman. A regional ombudsman is there to advocate for your loved one and ensure that their rights are protected throughout the entire process of filing a claim.
Another party who you should report this claim to is your Medicare provider. When you make a report with Medicare, they can ensure that it is filed on your account, and they can make a record of the facility’s negligence on their file.
Finally, you should also have a nursing home abuse lawyer on your side. At Madia Law LLC, we’re here to guide you so that you can feel confident in your claim and know that your loved one’s rights are being protected.
When you’re deciding what steps to take after your loved one is abused by the staff or another resident at their nursing home, you could use the help of our Minneapolis nursing home abuse lawyer. Your experienced attorney from Madia Law LLC will know the steps to take so that you can have the strongest claim possible.
We’ll ensure your family member gets the justice they deserve so that you can have peace of mind knowing that they don’t have to experience that abuse anymore. Through our claim, we can also help make sure that no other residents will ever have to experience that treatment either. Reach out to our office today so that we can start working on your claim.
Call 612-349-2729 or complete a Case Evaluation form
