Tulsa Nursing Home Patient Suicide Lawyer
Compassionate Legal Help After a Tulsa Nursing Home Patient Suicide
Suicide rates have been growing at an alarming rate across the country. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 47,000 Americans died by suicide in 2017. What may surprise many people, however, is the number of suicides that take place in nursing homes. Elderly and disabled nursing home residents are extremely prone to suicidal thoughts and ideas. Some statistics show that seniors over age 65 have a suicide rate nearly 20 percent higher than the national average. The rate of elderly suicide has skyrocketed in recent years, and nursing homes have a responsibility to keep track of the mental health of their residents just as they are responsible for their residents’ physical health.
If your family has suffered the devastating loss of a loved one by suicide in a Tulsa nursing home, Levinson Law, P.C., may be able to help. Our nursing home suicide lawyers will help you investigate the circumstances of your family member’s death and determine whether their long-term care facility should have done more to prevent suicide from occurring. You and your family have the right to know the truth, and the right to hold nursing homes to task if their failures caused your family such severe loss.
What Causes Patient Suicide in a Nursing Home?
Suicide is always a complicated issue. There tend to be a variety of factors that contribute to a person’s suicide, no matter their situation. The same is true of nursing home residents. There are, however, certain aspects of nursing home life that are more likely to contribute to the negative thoughts and feelings that can lead to patient suicide.
Some of the factors that might contribute to a resident suicide in a nursing home or other long-term care facility include the following;
- Chronic pain
- Feelings of loneliness
- Substance abuse
- Emotional, psychological, and verbal abuse from staff or other residents
- Mental illness and depression
- Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness
- Fear of losing a loved one
- Feeling like a burden on other people
- Social isolation
- Functional impairment
- Side effects of medication that lead to mental issues
- Social stressors
- Prior history of suicidal behavior
- Hopeless feelings about a terminal illness
Wrongful Death Claims After a Patient Suicide
Nursing homes have a responsibility to care for their residents’ personal and medical needs. Their duty extends to monitoring the psychological health of residents. They should have specialized training to identify the signs and symptoms of a suicidal patient and have care plans ready to implement for patients at risk. They should be regularly completing full assessments to help prevent patient suicide and should have protocols in place for when they suspect a patient is depressed or otherwise suicidal. They should be providing group activities and other forms of interaction to keep residents engaged and mitigate unwanted, oppressive thoughts.
If your loved one’s nursing home failed in these duties, then your family might be able to hold the facility responsible for the loss you have suffered. The nursing home suicide lawyers at Levinson Law, P.C., are ready to help you and your family seek closure and compensation after a Tulsa nursing home patient suicide.
Call for Assistance after a Nursing Home Patient Suicide in Tulsa
Even under the best of circumstances, a death in the family is a devastating experience. When that death is the result of suicide, it can be nearly impossible to process. If your loved one committed suicide while under the care and supervision of a home health aide worker or nursing home facility in Tulsa, they have a responsibility to your family to explain what happened. If they could have prevented the death by taking better care of your loved one, you might have a legal claim. Speak with the Tulsa nursing home suicide lawyers at Levinson Law, P.C., to discuss your case and determine if the nursing home or other long-term care facility should be held liable for your family’s loss. Call Levinson Law, P.C., today to set up a free initial meeting, or use our website’s convenient contact form for a prompt, private response to your questions.
