As of April of 2010, there are 1.5 million US residents who live in nursing homes across America. While some facilities provide tender, loving care for their residents, others are rampant with abuse and neglects. The trouble with nursing homes is that often an elderly person who lives there has a physical or a mental disability; for that reason they are usually unable to communicate about the unfair treatment they receive. Therefore, the best way to determine if someone is being mistreated is to watch for signs of neglect and abuse.
Nursing home abuse tends to be more apparent than nursing home neglect; neglect can go undetected for long periods of time, while abuse is more noticeable by the appearance of bruises, scars and wounds, as well as sudden changes in behavior.
When it comes to nursing home neglect, bedsores are the number one indicator. The law requires nursing facilities to turn their residents over in their bed many times throughout the day. Bedsores appear when the individual is left un-turned for long periods of time, thus causing excessive rubbing of bones and skin against the bed. Other subtle signs of neglect include malnutrition, dehydration, and lack of heating or clothing.
Nursing home abuse is a little more severe, and can be either physical, emotional, or both. Examples of abuse include:
- Overmedicating or under-medicating the resident
- Room confinement
- Physical violence, including forceful restraint, hitting, burning or kicking
- Intimidation, humiliation, ridicule and verbal abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Taking the person’s possessions without permission
Even if the individual can’t tell you that they are being abused, you may notice sudden behavioral changes in them. They may look scared, worried, unkempt, depressed and even refuse to eat.
If you suspect negligence or abuse of your loved one in a nursing home, the problem should be immediately reported to the overseeing doctor or a staff member. A staggering number of nursing homes in America have been cited over issues of negligent and abusive staff. Reporting a problem immediately, and preferably in writing, will help resolve such injustice. If this doesn’t work, then your complaint will serve as evidence if you choose to take legal action.
If you feel that someone you love is being abused or neglected in a nursing home, you may consider discussing your situation with a qualified attorney. We all have aging family members who we love, and by working together we can help stop abuse and neglect in nursing homes.
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