What Are Some Signs That a Nursing Home Resident is Being Abused?

 Posted on December 23, 2020 in Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home residents deserve to be treated with compassion and respect. Sadly, some nursing home residents suffer abuse and neglect at the hands of the very people who are supposed to protect them. Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many different forms, and it is often difficult to recognize. Some residents stay silent about nursing home neglect and abuse because they fear retaliation. Others are uninformed of their rights and do not recognize that the poor treatment they are receiving is against the law. Residents with impaired cognition caused by dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease may be unable to report instances of neglect and abuse. For these reasons, it is important for everyone with a loved one in a nursing home facility to be watchful for signs of neglect and abuse.

Physical Abuse Symptoms in a Nursing Home

The most obvious signs of physical abuse in a nursing home are bruises, cuts, scrapes, and other injuries. However, many nursing home residents are frail or in poor health. They may bruise easily or receive minor injuries from everyday tasks. Not every injury is a sign of nursing home abuse, however, minor injuries like these are often the first sign of mistreatment in a nursing home. Residents may suffer from intentional abuse or they may be injured because staff were negligent when caring for the resident. If your loved one has an injury, staff should be willing to discuss the injury with you. If staff seem defensive or are uninterested in determining the cause of an injury, this may be a sign that they are hiding something.

Sadly, some nursing home residents are victims of sexual abuse. When an elderly or disabled person experiences impaired cognition, they are not able to give consent to sexual activities. Victims of sexual abuse may become withdrawn, fearful, and anxious. They may avoid certain staff members and exhibit behavioral and mood changes. Bruises and other injuries near the breasts and genitals, blood in a resident’s underwear, and sexually transmitted infections may all be signs of sexual abuse.

Signs of Emotional or Psychological Abuse

Not all abuse is physical in nature. Psychological abuse, mental abuse, and emotional abuse may also occur in nursing home facilities. Staff may intentionally frighten residents in an effort to make the residents comply with requests. They may even mock or humiliate residents for their own amusement. For example, one family is suing an Illinois nursing home facility after a video surfaced showing staff allegedly taunting and bullying a 91-year-old resident who suffers from dementia. Signs of emotional abuse include increased agitation, anxiety, and fear, isolation, changes in behavior and mood, and depression.

Contact a Cook County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

If your loved one suffered from abuse or neglect while living in a nursing home, contact a Chicago nursing home injury attorney from Schwartz Injury Law to discuss your legal options. Call 312-535-4625 and set up your free consultation today.

Source:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/glenview/ct-gla-collins-nursing-home-lawsuit-tl-0815-20190809-gilagfpsirex5nhkb4xivwhmjm-story.html