Detecting Nursing Home Abuse

The decision to put a loved one in a nursing home is already a difficult one. You try to take care of your family member as best you can, but eventually there comes a day when they require constant and vigilant attention-care that only a quality nursing home can provide.

But how do you know that the nursing home you choose will give your loved one the care they deserve?

You can walk around, inspect the facility, review their credentials, look over their activities, and more, but what these things do not tell you is how patients are treated when visitors aren’t around.

To detect signs of Nursing Home Abuse (thesandersfirm.com) in your loved one or other patients, here are four types of mistreatment that can occur in a senior care facility and how to spot them:

1. Physical Abuse

The easiest type of mistreatment to detect is physical abuse, which is legally defined as any non-accidental, unnecessary act of force against an elderly resident. Physical abuse can also include excessive medication or overdosing-the resident is needlessly drugged and cannot move or function in a normal manner-or neglect of proper care.

Unexplained bruises, scratches, swelling, or other bodily markings may be signs that a resident is being abused, as well as noticeable gauntness, muscle atrophy, or fatigue.

2. Emotional Abuse

Emotional mistreatment may not be as obvious as physical abuse, but it can be just a detrimental to the well-being of a resident. Emotional abuse occurs when the abuser purposefully causes the patient to experience stress or anxiety. Shouting, threatening language, periods of isolation, and verbal ridicule are examples of this type of abuse.

Since injuries of emotional abuse are not apparent physically, they can be more difficult to detect. Ways to tell your loved one is experiencing emotional abuse is if they seem to be acting strangely or differently than usual, they appear to be intentionally isolating themselves, or their caregiver is never in the room while you are there visiting.

3. Financial Exploitation

Financial exploitation is the most common type of abuse in nursing homes. Since elderly residents are so reliable on their caregivers, they are particularly vulnerable to scams, identity theft, credit card cons, and healthcare fraud.

You can protect your loved one’s financial assets by limiting the nursing home’s accessibility to bank account information unless authorized by you or the resident.

4. Sexual Abuse

Any kind of abuse is terrible, but sexual mistreatment is especially heinous. And since caregivers hold a position of authority over their residents, elderly patients are usually defenseless to protect themselves from sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse can include forced viewing of pornographic material, forcing a resident to undress without cause, or physical advancements.

Putting a love one in a nursing home is oftentimes a tough, but inevitable choice. You want to be sure that the home you choose is giving them the best care possible, even while you are gone.

If you suspect your loved one is being abused in any way by their nursing home caregivers, then contact a medical malpractice lawyer immediately.