When Visiting a Loved One in a Nursing Home, Be Vigilant for These Signs of Abuse and Neglect

 Posted on December 17, 2018 in Neglect

Long-term care facilities like nursing homes are designed to assist elderly and disabled individuals with daily living tasks and enhance their quality of life. In addition to helping residents shower, eat, and take their medicine, nursing home staff have a legal duty to treat the residents with carefulness and compassion. When nursing home employees fail to carry out their work tasks accurately and timely, the results can be deadly. Many nursing home residents are not physically or mentally capable of looking after their own needs. They may forget to eat or drink, wander off of the facility into danger, or slip and fall when not being supervised. This is why it is so important for family members to be watchful for signs of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Common Red Flags That Your Loved One May Be Suffering in a Long-Term Care Facility

Nursing home neglect can take several forms. Neglected residents may be left without adequate food and water, appropriate clothing, or denied help showering and using the bathroom. Nursing home facilities that are cluttered, dirty, or contain unaddressed environmental hazards may be unsafe for residents.

Pressure sores, or bed sores, are another common sign of nursing home neglect. Residents who are not mobile rely on nursing home staff to occasionally reposition them in order to prevent bed sores. Untreated or frequent bedsores are often a sign that a nursing home resident is being neglected or abused. Unexplained injuries like lacerations, bruises, fractures, and welts may be signs that a nursing home resident is being physically abused.

Elder Financial Abuse Can Occur in Nursing Homes

Financial exploitation is the most ubiquitous form of elder abuse. The following may be signs of nursing home financial abuse:

• Unforeseen modifications to the resident’s will or financial documents;
• Bank account transfers which the resident cannot explain;
• The resident writes frequent personal checks to a particular caregiver or staff member;
• The nursing home resident’s personal possessions frequently go missing;
• The resident is suddenly reluctant to discuss financial issues with loved ones;
• There are added names on the resident’s bank signature card;
• The nursing home resident’s signature is forged for financial transactions or title transfers; and
• Deviations in banking behavior, such as unexpected withdrawals.

Contact an Experienced Cook County Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyer

If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you may have the right to compensation. Contact the compassionate Illinois nursing home injury attorneys at Schwartz Injury Law today by calling 312-535-4625 for a free consultation.

Sources:

https://ncea.acl.gov/resources/docs/Red-Flags-Elder-Abuse-NCEA-2015.pdf

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/elder-abuse-happens-more-than-you-think-how-to-spot-the-signs/2018/12/07/0f0bf09e-f89b-11e8-8d64-4e79db33382f_story.html