Special Concerns Regarding Nursing Home Residents With Alzheimer’s or Dementia

 Posted on February 10, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affect an estimated 50 million individuals across the globe. Nursing home residents suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may struggle to form memories, solve problems, and accurately interpret the world around them. Some sufferers become confused or even combative with other residents or nursing home staff. If your loved one suffers from dementia and is living in a nursing home, it is important to know some of the unique issues he or she may face. Nursing home staff should take special care to ensure the safety of residents with dementia. Failure to do so may result in the resident’s injury or death.

Wandering and Elopement

Nursing home residents who suffer from cognitive impairment due to dementia or a related illness are at an especially high risk of wandering and elopement. A confused resident may wander into a dangerous part of the facility and be seriously hurt as a consequence. Some residents even attempt to flee the facility or mistake the exit for an interior door. Tragically, some residents have died after eloping from nursing home facilities and succumbing to the elements.

Physical Abuse and Sexual Abuse

Nursing homes should be places of refuge for elderly and disabled residents. Sadly, some residents are victims of physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse. Residents with cognitive impairment brought on by illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease are often especially vulnerable to this type of malicious treatment. Perpetrators may target these residents because they know that the residents will struggle to report the abuse. They may even assume that if the residents did report the abuse, that no one would believe them.

Medication Mistakes

Most nursing home residents rely on one or more prescription medications. A resident with limited cognition may not remember if he or she took his or her medication on any given day. This makes it much easier for a medication mistake to go unnoticed. Residents with dementia may be at high risk for missed medications, mixed-up mediations, incorrect administration techniques, and other medication mistakes.

Contact a Cook County Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Nursing home staff should take special precautions to ensure that residents suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are safe. If your loved one suffered from nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse, you may be able to hold the facility responsible and recover damages through a nursing home injury claim. Contact a skilled Illinois Alzheimer’s and dementia patients lawyer from Schwartz Injury Law. Call 312-535-4625 for a free case evaluation today.

Source:

https://www.alzheimers.net/resources/alzheimers-statistics