A loved one who is in a nursing home isn’t there because it is fun. Instead, residents are in nursing homes because they need help with basic tasks and aren’t able to live life alone.
Residents of nursing homes deserve to receive quality care. They have lived long lives and deserve to finish out their days without having to worry about being mistreated. Sadly, many nursing home residents do have to worry about abuse and neglect.
Family members might have trouble recognizing the abuse
A resident won’t always show obvious signs of abuse. In some cases, the signs are subtle or mistaken for something else. Not all abuse that occurs in nursing homes is physical abuse. Some nursing home residents have to deal with financial abuse, emotional abuse and even sexual abuse.
You probably wouldn’t think to look for signs of sexual abuse when you visit your loved one in the nursing home. And it is often difficult to find evidence of financial abuse since some elderly residents keep a tight reign on their finances.
Signs might be mistaken for other things
Sometimes, the primary sign of nursing home abuse is a resident becoming withdrawn, which is also a primary sign of dementia. You can see why it might be difficult to put your finger on the fact that abuse occurred.
Other signs of abuse, such as bruising or frequent falls, may also be attributed to common problems among the aged. Ultimately, if you have any reason to think that your loved one is being abused in a nursing home, you should take action. It is better to be wrong in this case than to be right and not take action because you don’t want to rock the boat.
Nursing home neglect can be just as bad as abuse
Your loved one deserves proper care, which can include help with toileting and hygiene needs. It also includes having adequate access to health care and being able to get meals and fluids. Even therapy and mobility assistance are crucial for nursing home residents. In all of these cases, being unable to get the care they need can be life altering. For example, a bedridden resident would need to be repositioned frequently. If this doesn’t happen, he or she might end up with bedsores.
If you have a loved one who is abused or neglected in a nursing home, seeking compensation might be an appropriate course of action. Explore this option and learn what types of damages might be possible.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001