Anyone know of a good lawyer to fight against DCF (elder affair) in SW Florida

[kerry-is-my-prez]

My mother who was in hospice care at home developed a stage 2 bed sore during the hurricane and when we tried to send her to the hospital, Hospice prevented the hospital from admitting her and sent my mother home, despite me telling them it was now an unsafe environment and we were refusing to take her back home. They then threatened me with calling DCF. Her bedsore got even worse since we had no power for her special mattress or AC for about a week. We also had an aide coming in twice a day for 5 hours. Now DCF has blamed my brother and I (her power of attorneys) for medical negligence and having an unsafe environment (despite living in a $400,000 condo that we had cleaning people clean 2xmonth) and sent it on to the attorney general/law enforcement. My brother lived with her and I live in the same town.

Since there was a hospice nurse, social worker, home health agency (and a home health agency nurse) in charge of her care, I think they are looking at us as "the weak link" who they can blame this on apparently. My brother was probably not good with changing her diaper and turning her but that is it. You cannot turn my mother on your own also. My brother asked hospice for help in getting Medicaid so my mother could get into nursing home - which Hospice didn't do. Hospice also refused several times (prior to the bedsore and after to let her into one of their facilities for temporary respite care.

To be honest, I am also thinking of a few lawsuits. I have never sued anyone in my life, but this has really pissed me off. It's bad enough that we received no help but then for all of these agencies to gang up on us like this is reprehensible.

[steve2470]

1. it sounds like you need a criminal defense attorney

I'm going to guess that the very best defense lawyers who specialize in DCF elder affairs are in Tallahassee.

The problem with getting a regular defense attorney is that they don't know the laws surrounding elder care. They would have to charge you per hour to get up to speed. So, IMHO a defense lawyer out of Tally would be a better option. Of course all this depends on your budget. Anyway.... I'll wait for lawyers to chime in here.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

2. Would they help with a case in SW Florida. We do have the 500 ton law firm of Morgan & Morgan

but they are mainly about making big money via lawsuits I'm guessing.

[steve2470]

3. the lawyer in Tallahassee probably would

You would have to send them all your documents and probably go to Tallahassee at least once and especially for any hearings that require your presence. I had a lawyer out of Tally years ago and that's how it worked.

Morgan and Morgan is so big that they might have a lawyer or lawyers who specialize in DCF elder affairs stuff from a criminal law perspective and not the purely civil administrative law aspect. Be sure to make it very clear that your case involves criminal law, otherwise you will end up with the wrong lawyer.

[steve2470]

4. this info might be out of date but it looks like M&M does not do criminal defense law

https://www.forthepeople.com/practice-areas/

Of course, I'd call them on the phone and verify everything.