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Nursing Home Abuse and Negligence – An Experienced Attorney Can Protect Your Loved One

In today’s hectic world, many people lack adequate time to provide care to their elderly loved ones. Therefore, as our population ages, a steadily increasing number of our older citizens are placed in nursing homes. Too often, they are the victims of nursing home negligence or abuse in these facilities.

If your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or negligence, an experienced attorney can take legal action against those responsible for the abuse.

Why Nursing Home Abuse Occurs

Nursing home care has become an industry and, like most industries, is driven by the goal of providing service at the lowest possible cost to generate the highest possible revenue. In other industries, this can mean a reduction in product quality; in this industry, it can be life threatening. Some consequences of operating nursing homes in this manner are:

Minimal qualifications for staff
Inadequate staffing levels
Insufficient staff training
Low pay leading to high turnover

Given these conditions, while it may seem that instances of nursing home negligence and abuse are solely the fault of individual staff members, the root cause is often the administration of the facility, and responsibility must be borne by owners and managers, as well.

If you believe your loved one has suffered from nursing negligence or abuse, you should contact an experienced attorney to help determine if the facility is properly staffed with well-qualified caretakers.

Signs of Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse

Physical Abuse

Some of the most obvious signs that there may be negligence or abuse are:

Bruises or welts
Broken or fractured bones
Bed sores
Poor skin condition
Dehydration, malnourishment, or weight loss
Signs that restraints have been used unnecessarily or without authorization
Evidence of overdose or deprivation of medication
A caregiver who refuses to leave the resident alone with visitors

There are other signs, as well. If you have doubts about your loved one’s care, you should contact an experienced nursing home negligence and abuse attorney who can help you investigate any suspicious circumstances.

Emotional Abuse

The most obvious instances of nursing home negligence and abuse are those directly affecting the resident’s physical health. In some cases, however, residents are subjected to emotional or financial abuse. Caregivers who are not fully qualified or who are overworked or underpaid may take their frustrations out on residents, subjecting them to threats, verbal abuse, humiliation, or other forms of non-physical abuse. Frequent signs of emotional abuse are:

Agitation or anger
Withdrawal
Depression
Confusion
Behavior associated with dementia, such as rocking, biting, and sucking

Some of these behaviors may be associated with a loved one’s declining physical or mental health, but, if you believe there is no medical explanation for behavior changes and suspect emotional abuse, you should contact a qualified nursing home abuse and negligence attorney who can advise you on how to protect your loved one.

Financial Abuse

Another area of nursing home abuse that may not be immediately apparent is financial abuse. Nursing home residents are easy targets of unscrupulous staff, because of their isolation and dependence.

Financial abuse may include petty theft of a resident’s money or personal possessions, diverting funds by forging signatures and cashing checks without authorization, or misusing guardianship or power of attorney for financial gain.