When you entrust your elderly loved one to a nursing home, you expect that the facility will provide safe and effective care. However, it is estimated that around 2 million cases of nursing home abuse or neglect occur each year in the U.S. Nursing home staff may not have the proper training to care for your loved one, or they may be negligent and intentionally inflict harm on your elderly family member. Whatever the case, they must be held accountable in court. Our firm has represented numerous victims of nursing home abuse or neglect.
Here Are Some Signs to Look For:
1. Physical Signs
If your loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect, there are certain physical signs you can look for. Bruises, cuts, swelling, and other signs of physical trauma can alert you to abuse. Furthermore, sexual assault by a member of the nursing home staff may leave your elderly loved one with tenderness, bruises, and bleeding around the vagina or anus. If you see any of these signs, it may be that your loved one has suffered physical abuse.
Furthermore, sudden weight loss and bedsores are signs of neglect. If the facility fails to provide for the basic needs of your loved one, it will often show through your loved one’s dirty clothes, malnourished state, and dehydration. Injuries from frequent slip and fall accidents may also alert you to neglect, because it means the facility is not providing adequate safety measure to protect your loved one.
2. Emotional/Behavioral Signs
Verbal and emotional abuse can be very harmful for your loved one. If nursing home staff yell at, belittle, mock, or manipulate an elderly resident, this may cause a variety of symptoms. Your loved one may be scared of certain nursing home staff, and may be depressed and unwilling to engage in social behavior.
Lack of friendly interactions with nursing home staff and other residents can also alert you to neglect. Personal hygiene habits may change, and your elderly loved one may be withdrawn and moody. These are all signs you can look for to identify emotional neglect or abuse of your family member.
3. Medical Signs
Sometimes, nursing home staff are lazy and do not want to provide proper care to elderly residents. They will purposefully using sedatives to keep the patients asleep and immobile for long periods of time. Bedsores, confusion, dizziness, and a general change in consciousness or mental clarity are signs of medical abuse.
In addition, the staff at a nursing home may fail to provide the proper medication your loved one needs. Prescriptions that are mixed up, or given in too large or small of a dose, could result in a fatal condition for your elderly family member. If you notice unusual changes in appetite or physical symptoms of overdose, it may be that your loved one is not receiving accurate medical treatment.
What to Do If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect
The first thing to do if you think your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect is to move him or her to a different facility. You should then not only inform the nursing home management, but also file a police report. Nursing home abuse or neglect is a punishable offense. You should hire an experienced Woodbridge nursing home abuse lawyer to fight for justice on behalf of your loved one.
Learn How Our Firm Can Help – Call (732) 709-4400 Today
At Palmisano & Goodman, P.A., we believe nursing home staff and management must be held responsible for abuse or neglect. Elderly patients deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and proper care. If your loved one has suffered from abuse or neglect, our team of Woodbridge nursing home injury attorneys will tirelessly represent your case to ensure the at-fault party never hurts anyone else.
Contact us today to discuss your case in a free consultation.