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| If we are lucky, we have family and friends to celebrate the joys and happy surprises that life brings our way with. If we are very lucky, we have family and friends who will rally around us through the sorrows and struggles that are also a part of life. If we are fortunate, we will find caring professionals who can assist us through the business side of those difficult times. One business in Omaha that works for its clients in these situations is Reed Law Offices. Shayla Reed and her associate, April Romeo, are the attorneys at Reed Law Offices. The legal areas in which they specialize are very close to their hearts. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Shayla, and she explained a little bit of her background to me. When she was in high school, Shayla tells me she had a beloved great-aunt who, at age 92, began showing signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s and could no longer live on her own. Shayla’s family took her in and cared for her in their home until her physician advised that she needed around-the-clock, specialized nursing care. Reluctantly, Shayla’s family moved her great-aunt to a nursing home. She quickly declined and passed away within several months. Shayla says she remembers red flags coming up regarding her great-aunt’s care such as bruising, bad smells, and weight loss, but her family felt helpless. She recalls not knowing if the weight loss and bruising were just part of the illnesses her great-aunt suffered from, or if something else was wrong. As an attorney, Shayla says she began getting an increased number of phone calls from clients in similar situations over the last couple of years. This led her to specialize in nursing home abuse cases. She tells me that family members often feel conflicted. On the one hand they can’t put their finger on anything specific that is wrong, but they feel uneasy about their loved one’s care. For example, if an older person has diabetes or other circulatory diseases, they are more likely to easily bruise. Dementia patients are often reluctant to eat, but should they be forced to? Shayla tells me that an initial consultation or a phone call to her office is always free. If a family member is concerned, she first recommends talking with their loved one’s physician about their concerns and to keep a record of what they observe. For example, if they visit on Monday night and there is a new bruise where there was not one on Sunday morning, write it down. If they notice that their loved one is only cleaned up and in fresh linens when the staff expects visitors, that might also be something to note. Shayla says family members should feel comfortable asking questions or expressing their concerns about a loved one’s care, but she knows that in certain situations individuals may fear a backlash against the patient herself. In that case, Shayla tells me that they should seriously consider moving their family member to another place. Although there are some very good nursing homes and other facilities out there for elder care, Shayla stresses that most of the bad ones are for-profit facilities. They typically have the smallest staff possible, at the lowest pay, to maximize their profits. She says family members must be active advocates for their loved ones. Shayla adds that the family should be able to see their loved one’s records and nursing charts; if the facility is slow to provide them, that is another red flag. “Many clients call me out of frustration,” Shayla says. “They know they are getting the run-around, and their intuition tells them something is wrong.” One of Shayla’s strengths as an attorney in this area is her empathy, she shares. “I remember feeling helpless. I know what it is like—that you would go to the ends of the earth for your family, but you are not sure how to go about getting help. I hope to get to these people before it is too late because no one was there to help my family. Lack of education is a real problem in this area, and that is another part of our service. You trust your loved one to this facility’s care, and when that trust is violated you don’t know where to turn. It is possible to find good care, but the key is knowledge.” Shayla has been practicing law for 10 years. She began her career as an attorney for an insurance company. She tells me it was a good learning experience, but she started feeling that she wanted to represent “the other side.” Today, along with nursing home abuse, Reed Law Offices also specializes in representing victims of car accidents, especially when there is a wrongful death or severe injuries. “It can be a tough thing to talk about money when a person has lost their life. But the rewarding part for me is that I can hold their hand and help them through one of the darkest times in their life. I am very humbled to be brought into their family and allowed to help them begin to move on.” Clients of Shayla and April appreciate their work and are quick to express their gratitude. “I was rear-ended in a motor vehicle accident and received neck injuries,” says Mick. “It was agreed that the other driver was completely at fault, yet since I had a previous back injury the insurance company refused to admit that my neck injury was from this accident. I tried a number of other attorneys, but none felt there was enough money in it for them to take my case. Most of these attorneys made me feel like it was a hopeless case. Shayla agreed to help me. Not only did she take charge of my case, but she achieved getting me a great settlement. She helped me when no one else would take on the insurance company. I had really started to get a negative attitude about attorneys, but Shayla made me believe that there are actual human beings who are attorneys. I would highly recommend Shayla Reed.” Another client, Eugene, expresses appreciation for the “diligent and tireless efforts on my behalf,” as well as the proficiency and professionalism exhibited by Reed Law Offices. For more information, call Reed Law Offices at 933-0588, or visit them online at www.reed-law-offices.com. Reed Law Offices is located at 220 N. 89th Street, Suite 102, just southeast of 90th and Dodge. |
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