Nursing home abuse may be silent, but it does send out subtle signals. Be on the lookout for those signs.
Nursing home abuse is an abhorrent blight on society, and as a nation, we need to do something about it. If we don’t want to find ourselves in the same situation further down the road when we age, we need to take this bull by the horns.
“For those who have loved ones in nursing homes right now, you may want to keep your eyes open for signs that abuse is taking place. Often the signals are silent, because the family member is afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, but if you spend time quietly observing what is going on, you will see a clear pattern of abuse if it is present,” explained Michael Smith, an Arkansas personal injury lawyer.
Things to be on the lookout for are bed sores, bruises and wounds, weight loss, verbal abuse, malnutrition, excessive medication and unsanitary conditions. Bed sores are caused because the patient has been lying in bed for too long without having any exercise. Wounds or unexplained bruises may be the result of inadequate assistance from the nursing staff. If the wounds are infected, that should immediately raise a red flag.
Any type of weight loss is usually associated with neglect or the onset of depression as a result of neglect. It may also indicate malnutrition. If the rooms and bathrooms at the home are not clean or are barely passable, this may indicate the home is understaffed and the patients are not getting the care they need. “If at any time you overhear insults or harmful comments, you will know there is a problem with the level of care your loved one may be receiving,” remarked Smith.
If there are a significant number of residents in the home that are over medicated so the staff’s job is easier, run to the nearest phone and call an Arkansas personal injury lawyer. This is called chemical restraint and it must not be allowed to happen.
“While it would help if you could ask your family member precisely what is going on, that isn’t always possible if they have dementia or don’t understand what you are asking them. Basically, your intuition is a good indicator of something being wrong. After all, you ‘know’ your family member, and if something changes for the worse, you know something isn’t right. This is the time to give me a call and we will discuss what is happening,” added Smith.
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