Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/696225
LEGAL LANE same concerns, then you should notify management at the home of any sus- pected abuse of any kind. Some standard signs of physical or mental abuse are: 1)Recurring or un- explained injuries; 2) Dirty clothing or bedding; 3) Hesitation to talk openly; 4) Fearfulness of caregivers; 5) Lost valuables; 6) Unusual or inappropri- ate banking activity; 7) Signatures on checks or documents that are not your mothers; 8) Caregiver has unjustified control of your mothers finances; 9) Caregiver does not allow your mother to speak for herself or to visit with oth- ers out of the caregiver's presence; and 10) Caregiver has a history of abuse of others. This list is only a small sample of telltale signs to look for but most of all use your common sense about what is happening to your mother. If management does not respond to you and provide you with sufficient answers to your question you should look at transferring your mother to another facility immediately. If that is not possible, then you should discuss your concerns with the local police department, the prosecutors' office and you may even want to speak with your state's Adult Protective Services (APS). In your home state of Texas, APS is covered in Chapter 48 of the state Hu- man Resources Code, which states: The purpose of this chapter is to pro- vide for the authority to investigate the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an el- derly or disabled person and to provide protective services to that person. The good people at APS provide interventions into several areas such as, 1) investigating reports of alleged instances of elder abuse; 2) Evaluating the risks of the person; 3) creating a plan of care for an abused adult; 4) ar- ranging for the needed care whether it is medical or legal; and 5) monitoring of services provided. The home may be criminally or civilly liable for permitting or allow- ing abuse of your mother, if proven in court. The abuser may be criminally liable for acts of assault, battery, fraud, theft, or even rape. Civilly the home and the abuser may be charged in court with failing to provide adequate care and protection, financial fraud, over- prescribing drugs, or inflicting physi- cal harm. These concerns should be discussed with your attorney, but do not delay. Every day your mother is abused is one more day of Hell for her and you will never forgive yourself for allowing her to stay in that situation. bdj Jim C. Klepper is President of Interstate Trucker Ltd., a law firm entirely dedicated to legal defense of the nation's commercial drivers. Interstate Trucker represents truck drivers throughout the forty-eight (48) states on both moving and non-moving violations. Jim is also president of Drivers Legal Plan, which allows member drivers access to his firm's services at greatly discounted rates. Jim, a former prosecutor, is also a registered pharmacist, with considerable experience in alcohol and drug related cases. He is a lawyer that has focused on transportation law and the trucking industry in particular. He works to answer your legal questions about trucking and life over-the-road and has his Commercial Drivers License. 800-333-DRIVE (3748) or www.interstatet- rucker.com and www.driverslegalplan.com 60 July 2016 BestDriverJOBS www.bestdriverjobs.com