Within ten to fifteen years, the firm anticipates some older Baby Boomers will themselves be in nursing homes, and will be the plaintiffs in their own lawsuits.
The parents of Baby Boomers are now filling nursing homes in record numbers. According to the 1997 National Nursing Home Survey, there were 1,465,000 residents 65 and older in nursing homes. The survey noted that in 1997, about 75 percent of all nursing home residents 65 and older required assistance in three or more activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, eating, transferring from bed to chair, and using the toilet.
About 42 percent of nursing home residents were diagnosed with dementia, and 12 percent had other psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and mood disorders. In the intervening seven years, these numbers have only swelled.
Baby Boomers must now contend with the treatment their elderly parents receive if they are placed in nursing homes or other care facilities. Incidences of neglect, negligence, and abuse are on the rise.
Personal injury firms like Weitz & Luxenberg are concentrating on serious cases of abuse and neglect which result in injuries such as fractures, falls, bedsores, malnutrition, and dehydration.
Attorney Stuart Friedman says, « Without the involvement of personal injury lawyers, the incidences of many preventable injuries and abuse in nursing care facilities will increase unchecked. » Lawsuits against nursing homes guilty of negligence will ideally improve conditions for all residents who require skilled care. Homes held responsible for their negligence will be forced to improve conditions for their residents or shut down, and residents who are victims of abuse and neglect will get the compensation they deserve.
Friedman continues, « Law firms should be preparing now for the burgeoning caseload they are likely to see within the coming decade. » Weitz & Luxenberg anticipates legally savvy Baby Boomers who enter nursing homes to be keenly aware of their rights and adamant about defending them. The oldest Boomers are now approaching their 60s, and as the generation ages, more will take up residence in homes. The Boomers comprise a large segment of the American population, and matured during a time when lawsuits became common, hence they will be likely to rely more on firms like Weitz & Luxenberg to preserve their rights.
People who have been injured by nursing home negligence can contact Weitz & Luxenberg. Interested parties should call the Client Relations Department at 1 (800) 476-6070, email clientrelations@weitzlux.com, and view the firm’s website at http://www.weitzlux.com.
Contact: David Kufeld, Director of Marketing Weitz & Luxenberg, PC
http://www.weitzlux.com