What Is Nursing Home Abuse?

Placing our elderly loved ones in a nursing home facility is a painful and tough decision, so seeing them suffer at the hands of people they should be trusting to take care of them is very heartbreaking. Not only can nursing home abuse demoralize the elderly, but it can also cause unnecessary pain and suffering.

To prevent this, you need to understand what nursing home abuse is and its signs. This way, you can stop it from escalating and take the necessary legal steps in getting justice for the victim.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

There are four types of nursing home abuse:

1. You have physical abuse wherein strong physical force is used against the resident. This oftentimes results in impairment, causing the resident pain.
2. Another type is emotional abuse wherein the resident suffers from verbal attacks such as threats, curses, derisive and derogatory remarks, etc. from the caregiver, causing the resident extreme anxiety and fear.
3. Another form is sexual abuse such as rape, inappropriate touching, forcing the resident to look at pornographic materials, or even forcing the resident to strip off without due cause.
4. Last, you also have financial fraud and exploitation wherein the caregiver extorts money from the resident. Stealing from the elderly and scamming him off of his money also belongs to this.

When it comes to nursing home neglect, there are also four common types:

1. Personal hygiene neglect happens when caregivers fail to provide the residents proper personal and oral hygiene such as bathing, washing up after soiling themselves, changing into clean clothes, oral care, etc.
2. Another type is medical neglect wherein the caregiver fails to provide proper medical care. Because of this, there is worsening of the resident's medical conditions with the addition of some complications such as bedsores, non-healing wounds and ulcers, pneumonia, etc.
3. Basic needs neglect is another type of nursing home neglect wherein the resident is not given water and food, which are the most basic needs of any man.
4. Last, you have emotional neglect where the caregiver simply ignores the resident and fails to treat him or her as a human being.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Here is a list of the most common signs of nursing home abuse and neglect.

1. There are some bruises on the resident's body, especially in the facial and neck area as well as upper arms. There may also be bruises and bleeding in the genital area and breasts. When asked where they get it, they give no definite answer.
2. Broken bones, the cause of which is not explained very well by the resident and the caregiver.
3. The resident has rope mark signs on feet and hands.
4. The elderly appears more depressed, withdrawn, listless, or even wary and restless. He refuses to meet your eyes or the eyes of his caregiver, and he also begins to exhibit dementia-like symptoms such as mumbling or rocking.
5. The caregiver refuses to leave the resident's side or doesn't allow you to be left alone with your elderly loved one. His mere presence alone is already trying to stop the resident from saying anything.
6. The patient asks money and does some unusual financial transactions but cannot explain what it is for.

If you notice these signs from your elderly loved ones, then be wary. He may be suffering from nursing home neglect and abuse. If you suspect such an incident is happening, then be sure to get in touch with your personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to discuss filing a case against the facility.

Jennifer Dalbeck is an article writer for a Las Vegas, NV personal injury attorney. She is specializing mainly in nursing home abuse as well as car accidents.