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Our elders deserve the best care, especially when they’re no longer able to care for themselves. When we choose an assisted living or community-based residential facility to care for our aging loved ones, it’s with the expectation that they’ll be treated well.
Unfortunately, many residents of these facilities in Wisconsin are subject to substandard care, and some may even experience neglect, abuse, or cruelty.
If you or a loved one has experienced neglect or abuse in a Wisconsin assisted living facility, call (608) 268-0268 or our Madison nursing home abuse lawyers. Our experienced attorneys will fight for justice for your family, including financial compensation for pain, suffering, and expense.
In Wisconsin, a community-based residential facility, or CBRF, is a place where five or more unrelated people live together in a community setting. Services provided in a CBRF include room and board, supervision, support services, and up to three hours of nursing care per week.
In comparison, nursing homes are places where five or more unrelated people (also not related to the administrator or operator) reside. Nursing home residents may also receive care or treatment, as well as access to 24-hour nursing services.
Wisconsin law distinguishes various kinds of care facilities, and different standards apply to each. CBRFs are not held to the same legal standards as nursing homes but they still have clear requirements and responsibilities for providing care.
It’s not always easy determining those differences in a facility’s legal duties, and a nursing home abuse attorney at Boller & Vaughan can help.
The state of Wisconsin categorizes abuse in the following ways:
Intentional acts that result in pain, injury, or impairment. Signs of physical abuse may include bruises, open wounds or cuts, broken bones, sprains, dislocations, broken eyeglasses or hearing aids, signs of confinement or restraint, or access denied to aids such as wheelchairs.
Language or behavior intended to cause emotional pain or distress. Signs of emotional abuse may include the resident being passive, withdrawn, nonresponsive, anxious, or fearful. They may blame themselves for the situation. A caregiver or family member may yell, threaten, control, or belittle the individual.
Nonconsensual sexual contact of any kind, including contact with an individual incapable of giving their consent. Signs of sexual abuse may include bruises around the breasts or genitals, unexplained bleeding, pain, or itching around the genitals, or difficulty in walking or sitting.
The illegal or improper use of funds, assets, or property of an individual. Signs of financial exploitation include sudden changes in bank accounts or banking practices, unauthorized withdrawals or transfer of assets, unexplained disappearance of valuable possessions or funds, forged signatures, and more.
Financial exploitation is the second most common reason for reported elder abuse in Wisconsin.
The failure to provide basic needs to an individual: food, water, clean clothing and living conditions, assistance with personal hygiene, medicine, safety, and other essentials.
Signs of neglect include lack of cleanliness or safety in the home, inadequate or spoiled food, weight loss or untreated health problems, neglected bills or finances, and so on.
Some of these signs of abuse are obvious, while others are more subtle. While observing one sign doesn’t automatically mean an individual is being abused, it’s important to be on alert for these red flags in case it does occur.
If your loved one is in immediate, life-threatening danger, call 911 or local law enforcement to report it immediately.
To talk to someone about suspected elder abuse (a person age 60 and over), contact your county’s elder adult protection agency in Wisconsin.
When you call to report the abuse, you may be asked for information such as:
Following your call, a caseworker will review the report and then determine their next action.
Reporting suspected abuse or neglect is the first step in protecting your loved one from harm. It’s also a good idea to contact a Madison-area attorney experienced in elder abuse cases. A knowledgeable attorney can help you collect evidence and pursue the financial compensation you and your family deserve.
Your initial consultation with our lawyers is FREE. During your consultation we will evaluate the merits of your case and give you our honest opinion of whether or not it is worth pursuing.
Whether your family utilizes a CBRF, hospice, a nursing home, assisted living, in-home healthcare, or some other such service, you never have to tolerate abuse or neglect. These facilities accept the incredibly important responsibility of caring for your loved ones, and you are justified in expecting the best from them.
If you suspect that you or a loved one has experienced neglect or abuse in a Wisconsin assisted living facility, call Boller & Vaughan at (608) 268-0268 to speak to a nursing home abuse attorney right away. Your initial consultation is free of charge and you pay nothing unless we win your case.
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We live in Friendship, Wisconsin, and Boller & Vaughan came to our doorstep to discuss our mother’s wrongful death claim on a Saturday morning. Not only were we pleased with the large recovery, we were so thankful to have lawyers who were willing to explain to us every twist and turn along the way. It is great to know there is a law firm that will fight for the rights of elderly people all over Wisconsin.
Mr. Boller and Ms. Vaughan were incredible in working on my case and my daughter’s case. I was out of work and in the hospital with a new baby. Mr. Boller and Ms. Vaughan protected our rights and it was a pleasure to work with them. I hope never to be in another motor vehicle accident, however, if I am and I am injured, I will contact Boller & Vaughan immediately.
I was referred to Michelle through a friend. I have never had a better experience. It took a little over a year to get my settlement but the staff there stayed in constant contact and kept me in the loop. Oh, and Michelle actually got me MORE money than we discussed. I will refer anyone to this firm. Words cannot do justice the thanks that I have for Michelle and her staff (Mary especially) thank you guys so much!
After my husband died as a result of a motor vehicle accident, Boller & Vaughan spent countless hours talking with me, meeting with me in person, and making sure that I was okay. The drunk driver who hit us did not have any insurance, and we had to make a claim through our own insurance. Boller & Vaughan was fantastic at explaining the law to me and the handling of our claims.
After my son was injured in a daycare setting, Ms. Vaughan took the time to thoroughly investigate our case and my son’s injuries. Michele was approachable and had answers to our questions. Talking with her helped to relieve many of our anxieties.
