Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

When you and your loved one go to look at residential centers, thoughts of abuse are not typically at the forefront. Instead, most people are focused on the excellent level of care. You might also be more focused on the amenities. But abuse is usually not in the brochure.

Your loved one can spend ample time in their new living quarters without incident. As time goes on, you and your elderly loved one may put aside any thoughts of abuse and get comfortable with the nursing home and how well they manage the property and residents. There’s no guide book to how injury happens, but most abuse does occur with residents that aren’t able to speak for themselves.

Recognizing the signs of abuse is critical. You may also have a personal injury claim against the facility and the staff. There is a statute of limitations for filing, so knowing the signs to stop the abuse is better sooner rather than later. Let’s take a look at some of the symptoms of abuse family members can look for in their loved ones.

Withdrawn

Aging and withdrawing can seem to go hand and hand at times. When a person has limited movement or is slowly losing their battle with dementia, but for those that are seemingly active and healthy, withdrawing is a bad indicator, something else is going on. Withdrawing or being distant could mean physical abuse. The person doesn’t want to talk about it because they feel frightened or ashamed or are being told not to. Intimidation and nursing home abuse tend to go hand and hand.

Depression

Has your loved one been feeling overly sad in the last couple of weeks? Having down days is one thing, but the depression that lasts several weeks may indicate an underlying problem. When there is a history of depression, it can be harder to identify this as an issue. Talking to your loved one about any issues, if they are able, can make a huge difference in whether or not it's a depression or caused by abuse.

Bedsores

The number one sign of a negligent staff is bedsores. Bedsores happen when a patient isn’t moved and cleaned. Allowing someone to sit in their bodily fluids or have trapped moisture will cause bedsores. Typically this is reason enough to investigate the probability of abuse.

Bruises and Cuts

Though bruises are very common for the elderly, due to many health conditions and medications, signs of consistent bruises or unexplained ones could throw up a red flag. Handprints or those that are oddly placed should be looked into more deeply.

Nursing home abuse can happen to any elderly patient in the care of a facility. Recognizing the signs is the first step at getting them help and out of the situation. For more information about personal injury law, or if you think you have a case, visit Jason Stone Injury Lawyers Boston, MA online today to schedule a free consultation.