Elder Sex Abuse Lawyer
Do You Need the Help of Our Elder Sex Abuse Lawyers?
Perhaps the worst form of elderly abuse is sexual assault, and it’s something lawyers for sexual abuse of seniors help their clients with every day. The reality is seniors are sexually abused in nursing homes every day. If your loved one is a survivor, make sure it doesn’t happen again by contacting the National Injured Senior Law Center today.
Elder sex abuse occurs when a person 60 and over is forced, tricked, coerced, or manipulated into unwanted sexual contact. According to a technical assistance manual for Pennsylvania’s sexual violence centers, it includes sexual contact when they are unable to give informed consent or between healthcare providers and an elderly resident. This can happen in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, in the hospital, at an adult day care center, or at home.
Get Help for Your Loved One
Our lawyers are ready to fight for you and your loved one. Get the compensation you deserve and get your loved one the legal protection he or she ought to have. Call us today at 410-625-4878 or email Steve.
GET HELP TODAYLawyers for Sexual Abuse of Seniors Understand How These Attacks Happen
Sexual abuse in a nursing home may be shocking because of the false belief sexual violence is based on sexual attraction, and elders are viewed as asexual or undesirable. What drives abuse is the survivor’s vulnerability and the perpetrator’s belief he or she will avoid responsibility.
Perpetrators seek victims who can be overpowered and manipulated and who are unlikely to report the assault. If they do, they may not be considered credible, especially if they have cognitive or emotional problems.
Studies have identified profiles of victims and abusers:
- Perpetrators are likely to be male caregivers
- Older survivors are most often females older than 70
- They are dependent on others or poorly functioning
- They suffer more physical trauma than younger survivors
- Older survivors are less likely to report sexual abuse than younger ones
Myths about sexual assault can make reporting it less likely and survivors’ suffering greater:
- Many elderly women may believe “good girls” are not raped. She may think she led her male attacker to believe she was attracted to him
- A male survivor may think he’s less of a man because he couldn’t control the situation. If attacked by another man, an older male victim may feel too much shame and embarrassment to report it. He may fear others will think he wanted to have sex with another man
If this is happening to your loved one, our elder sexual abuse lawyers may be able to help protect your loved one and obtain compensation for the harm he or she suffered.
CONTACT OUR FIRMIf You Believe Your Loved One was Sexually Assaulted, Contact an Attorney for Sexual Abuse of Seniors
Cruelty to Those Who Are Least Able to Protect Themselves Is Unacceptable.
To help you identify if your loved one was harmed, it helps to know the physical signs of sexual abuse. They include:
- Ripped or blood-stained clothes, especially underwear
- A sexually transmitted disease
- Bruises, especially on both sides of the body or around the breasts or genitals
- Bleeding from the vagina or rectum
Emotional or psychological issues are also a red flag for sexual abuse:
- Fear of where the assault happened (a bathroom or stairway)
- Fear of men
- Flashbacks
- Being easily startled
- Symptoms of traumatic stress (confusion, sleeping too much, not eating, withdrawal)
- Worsening of pre-existing physical or psychological conditions
What Attorneys for Sexual Abuse of Seniors Can Do for the Survivor and Their Family
You can prevent further harm by contacting our office and working with our lawyers for sexual abuse of seniors. A report must be filed with management and the attacker needs to be kept away from the survivor. The police should be contacted. If there’s enough evidence the abuser should be arrested.
Your family member should be moved to another facility. Whatever form of payment that’s being used (long-term care insurance, Medicaid or Medicare) should cover the care at the next nursing home.
If your loved one is sexually assaulted in a nursing home the perpetrator may be an employee, a contractor, volunteer, visitor or fellow resident. Who is liable for the abuse and why will vary on the circumstances.
- Normally an employer (the nursing home or a home healthcare agency) may be responsible for an employee’s act when it’s in the scope of his or her job, but that would not include sexual abuse.
- The nursing home or agency is responsible for a resident’s safety and may have negligently hired the person (lack of a proper background check) or failed to supervise the employee (past accusations of inappropriate behavior were not taken seriously).
- If the perpetrator was a fellow resident, if there were past non-consensual sexual contacts with others and management failed to act, that may be grounds for legal claims.
Nearly all lawsuits filed by lawyers helping injured seniors against nursing homes settle. The legal process could take months or years, depending on the strength of the evidence, how reasonable the nursing home’s insurance company is, and how much the parties want to avoid a trial. Damages can include payment of costs (medical and for transferring facilities) and compensation for pain and suffering.
Find Out if You Have a Legal Case Due to the Sexual Abuse of Your Family Member
The best way to learn about the legal process, the rights of your loved one, and the best way to proceed is to schedule a free strategy session with attorney Steven H. Heisler. During this free, no-obligation session, our lawyers who help seniors will take the time to learn details about your case and answer any questions you may have. We can also collect information from you (such as copies of recent medical records and medical bills related to your abuse) to get a better idea of how much your settlement may be worth.
