4 Signs Of Nursing Home Abuse
Posted on: 2 December 2019
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If you have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted care facility, you may be concerned about their well-being. Although the majority of facilities keep their residents' health and happiness at the forefront of their operations, there are unfortunately a few bad apples out there. The following are 5 signs of nursing facility neglect or abuse that you need to be aware of.
#1: Unexplained or Excessive Injuries
A bruise here or a scrape there without an explanation may not raise any alarm bells, but if your loved one keeps ending up with injuries and no one can provide an explanation, then you have a right to be concerned. Further, if the explanations seem to be far-fetched or if injuries keep occurring, then abuse or neglect could be the problem. Your loved one may trip and fall once, but weekly or daily falls often mean that supervision is lacking or abuse is the real cause of the injury.
#2: Bed Sores
Many nursing home residents have to spend a lot of time in bed, especially if they aren't capable of getting up without assistance. Even a bedridden resident should be receiving sufficient care so that bedsores aren't a major issue. A few bedsores may be unavoidable, but they should be well-dressed and cleaned several times a day. If your loved one has excessive sores or missing or dirty bandages, then it's time to contact a personal injury lawyer.
#3: Weight Loss or Malnutrition
Unfortunately, food can be used to control residents. One responsibility of a nursing care facility is to ensure that the residents are eating balanced diets that meet their nutritional needs. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies that aren't addressed by the care staff are a major red flag that the staff isn't preparing proper meals or that they aren't supervising the nutritional needs of the residents. Major weight loss that can't be explained by a medical condition is another flag that must be addressed immediately.
#4: Personality Changes
Depression, fear, withdrawal from things that previously brought joy -- these are all signs of abuse. Your loved one may seem nervous when you visit or evasive of your questions and concerns. If you notice any type of behavioral or personality changes, you need to be concerned. While some personality changes can be the result of conditions like Alzheimer's Disease, others are a sure sign of mistreatment.
Contact a personal injury lawyer if you suspect nursing home abuse.