Nursing home abuse exists. Your senior loved one may be a victim in a place where they’re supposed to be safe and under the care of professionals. This is something that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
But how do you know for sure if your senior loved one is abused? This guide will go over the signs of nursing home abuse that you need to look out for. Recognizing these signs early will be important.
Once you learn what they are and how to identify them, you can be able to determine the next course of action. This may include consulting with a lawyer should the idea of a lawsuit arise. Let’s take a look now at the following signs of nursing home abuse right now.
What are the types of nursing home abuse?
There are different types of nursing homes and abuse that exist. It is important to know what each one is alone with the signs that correspond with it. Let’s take a look at what they are and what to look for:
Physical abuse
This is a type of abuse that will feature unexplained injuries. This can include fractures, abrasions, and cuts to name a few. It is important to make sure that you ask your senior loved one how they received these injuries.
If they are unable to explain what happened, this could be a sign of abuse. They may not disclose for fear that there may be retaliation. As such, you’ll want to report any suspected abuse with nursing home management.
That’s why you’ll want to make sure your senior loved one gets the justice they deserve. In certain cases, pressing charges of physical abuse is possible (while issuing a lawsuit against the nursing home should also be considered).
Emotional/psychological abuse
Abuse like this can leave mental scars. So you know that not every type of abuse has to have physical signs. A senior resident in a nursing home that experiences emotional or psychological abuse will have changes in behavior.
They may act out of character compared to their usual selves. This may be enough to raise a red flag and determine that they have been abused. Such abuse can be done where a staffer may yell, intimidate, or harass senior residence.
Your senior loved one may be struggling with simple tasks and a staff member might be ridiculing them. This is one example of how emotional abuse happens. Watching out for the signs of such abuse is important.
They may need to consult with a mental health professional that specializes with geriatrics. There is no question that nursing home abuse can inflict mental anguish. You can accompany them to these sessions (assuming you follow confidentiality agreements).
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse can have physical signs that may stem from sexual contact that is non-consensual. However, sexual abuse may be considered if the act of sexually explicit materials are presented to a senior resident without the latter’s consent.
Depending on the severity, there are some legal repercussions that will exist. As such, it is important to take sexual abuse seriously – especially when such situations can affect people of all ages.
Neglect
Neglect is different from abuse. However, the types are similar such as physical, emotional, and medical neglect. What are the signs of each? Let’s provide you with the following examples:
- Physical neglect can come in the form of signs like malnutrition, dehydration, looking unkempt, poor hygiene, and dirty or soiled clothing among others. This also includes poor and unsanitary living situations.
- Mental neglect will mostly be stemmed from intentionally isolating a senior from other people – denying them the opportunity to socialize with others. This can lead them to feel lonely and depressed.
- Medical neglect pertains to any injuries or illnesses that are not attended to by a medical professional. This also includes the failure of administering medication to a senior resident. Symptoms from health conditions that may arise from skipped doses may arise, which could be serious depending on what they are.
What may be the environmental factors of an unsafe nursing home?
If your senior loved one is already in a nursing home, it’s important to observe the environment when you’re visiting them. It may change over a period due to several factors. Here’s a look at some of the factors that may be a sign that a nursing home may be unsafe:
The attitude of the staff
This is a huge factor to be aware of. What is the staff’s attitude towards the residents? If it appears to be aggressive or dismissive, this will be a problem.
Would you want them to take care of your senior loved one? Chances are they might not be as interested. In fact, they may also be abusive towards the residents.
If this is the case, you want to report the situation to nursing home management. They may launch their own investigation or choose not to.
It should also be a good idea to consult a lawyer. This will give you a point of contact in case you need to take legal action.
High turnover rate among staff
This can be due to a work environment that is considered toxic. When the cohesion of a staff is not the best, this might affect the residents. Staff members may not be interested in performing their roles effectively.
As such, the staff of a nursing home may be short of a few hands. When this happens, this can lead to increased risks of neglect. If you notice a shortage of staff in a nursing home, this is a valid concern – especially if you’re worried that your senior loved one may be neglected.
Lack of communication or transparency from staff
The lack of communication or transparency could lead to unsafe conditions. In fact, this may be a factor where increased risks of neglect may arise. With this in mind, it’s important to make sure the staff are in consistent and clear communication with everyone involved.
This includes staff communicating with residents and their families. The communication between staffers to make sure they understand one another is a must. Especially when it comes to taking on the necessary tasks that ensure the health and safety of their residents.
What should you do if your senior loved one may be abused?
Knowing the signs of nursing home abuse is one thing. However, what if you spot it? Sometimes, it may require repeated patterns in order to finally take action.
When it comes to protecting your senior loved one, you want to make sure they are relocated to a safe space once such abuse is confirmed. There are other actions that you need to take. Here’s are the steps that you’ll need to take:
Document any necessary signs and evidence
This will be a major step in making sure that your senior loved one gets the justice they deserve. Document any incidents of abuse. Take photographic evidence if needed.
You may need to consult with a lawyer on how to collect evidence legally. Especially if you live in a state that may have two-party consent laws on recording. Having a lawyer that specializes in nursing home abuse will help you navigate through the obstacles of the legal process.
Gathering witness statements
Witness statements will be vital in a legal proceeding pertaining to nursing home abuse. When collecting these statements, your attorney will make sure that the witnesses are protected from any possible retaliatory actions. Note that witnesses are also protected thanks to confidentiality laws and agreements.
Remain in touch with your lawyer
Once the necessary evidence and statements are gathered, you can relay these to your lawyer. Remain in touch with them in an effort to file a lawsuit. Meanwhile, it should be a good idea to report incidents of abuse to the appropriate state agencies and other organizations focused on senior citizen health and safety.
Proceed with the lawsuit. The nursing home where the abuse has occurred may choose to settle with you or it may go to court.
Conclusion
Knowing the signs of nursing home abuse will be important. If you spot them, you’ll want to take action as soon as possible. The health and safety of your senior loved one must always be a priority.
Please know that it will be a race against the clock in terms of taking action. With the statutes of limitation in your jurisdiction, you only have so much time to consult with a lawyer in terms of filing a lawsuit against your senior loved one’s abusers. So don’t wait – do whatever it takes to protect them if you notice any abuse. Contact us to learn more about your legal options.
