Signs and Symptoms of Nursing Home Abuse
According to the Pew Research center, there are around 74 million baby boomers, individuals born between 1946 and 1964. The younger members of this generation are in their late 50s and early 60s, and it is possible that they will require the care and attention of nursing homes at some point later in life. It can cost a lot of money to put a loved one in a care facility, and not every patient receives adequate care despite the high cost of care. There have been many reports of abuse in nursing homes.
In addition to physical abuse, like hitting someone or striking someone with an object, nursing home abuse can include physical restraints, aggressiveness or threats, and any other intentional malicious action that threatens to harm a resident. Neglect is also an issue. This occurs when caretakers intentionally do not provide elderly individuals with the health or mental services they need, including not giving residents baths or keeping them hydrated.
Nursing home abuse and neglect are serious issues, but they are difficult to address. Elderly individuals may not know they are being abused or neglected, or they may be afraid or unsafe telling their family members about their negative experiences. Nursing home staff might also threaten elderly individuals to scare them and dissuade them from sharing their negative experiences. It is also possible that their loved ones will not believe them.
There are multiple signs and symptoms of nursing home abuse. Nursing home patients may tell their families and loved ones that they are being abused. Other patients might not reveal instances of nursing home abuse or the extent to which they have been abused by nursing home staff. One sign of nursing home abuse is changes in emotional behavior or state. A big sign of nursing home abuse is depression and confusion, agitation, lack of interest in activities they commonly enjoy, and withdrawal from relationships and groups.
Malnutrition and weight loss is also a symptom of nursing home abuse. A patient losing weight with no reported change in diet or increase in physical activity can be a sign of nursing home abuse. The patient may not be receiving the proper amount of food or type of food in his or her facility. A nursing home patient could also be living in unclean conditions. If a patient does not look like he or she has been given a shower or bath recently and his or her clothes are not clean, a patient could be experiencing abuse. Unsanitary sleeping and living conditions could also be a factor in whether or not someone is being abused.
Injuries and infections are also a sign of nursing home abuse. If there are unexplained bruises on his or her body or infections that are easily treatable or preventable, this could be abuse. Finally, sudden changes in medication and dosage levels are a sign of nursing home abuse. When a family member or loved one checks on a patient in a nursing home and discovers that medication type or dosage levels have been changed without notifying the family members, this could be abuse.
Is a loved one experiencing nursing home abuse or neglect? Contact us today to see if you could be entitled to compensation. Call 412-471-3980 or fill out our contact form and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
