Nursing home abuse concerns all of us

The media these days is full of elder abuse stories. Abuse is not acceptable now, and never will be.

Have you ever taken the time to check out the statistics on nursing homes in the United States? For instance, did you know that there are at least 18,000 nursing homes across the nation, with a total patient population of over 1.6 million? Staggering numbers, aren’t they? Some people think these are the silent elder majority tucked away out of sight and out of mind, left to count the days until their death. Others think that if they put grandma or grandpa in a home, he or she won’t be such a nuisance anymore.

Thankfully, others worry a lot about placing their relatives in a nursing care home because they care, and they want the best for their loved ones. They also know they will be the next ones to need a nursing home at some point. There is nothing like an “about to be personal” experience that motivates people to get angry about elder abuse in nursing homes. Whatever the reasons for people speaking out, more are realizing that this type of abuse is in no way acceptable. We wouldn’t want it to happen to us, so why would we want it to happen to our relatives?

Do you think your relative is being abused at his or her nursing home? Do not wait to second-guess your intuition. Call a dedicated and highly skilled New Hampshire personal injury lawyer and get the situation investigated. Time is of the essence in abuse cases given the age and condition of some of the elderly people in nursing homes. They don’t have the stamina, mental capacity, ability or comprehension, in some cases, to deal with abuse or even realize what is going on.

It’s absolutely disgusting to think that our special citizens, those who have gone before us and created this great country of ours, are subjected to unspeakable acts of abuse. Take the case of a 74-year-old California woman, for example. She was bright and cheery and still very capable, but needed skilled nursing for her diabetes. She was placed in a nursing home only to be chemically restrained because the staff thought she was a nuisance for speaking her mind. During one session of chemical restraint, the woman choked on her own vomit, ending a life that still had value not only to her, but to her family.

Nursing homes are supposed to be facilities where our seniors get the care they need in a manner that affords them dignity, caring and compassion. They are not intended to be places where our seniors are neglected, abused, ignored and shunned – treated like they are second-class citizens. It is up to every one of us to do something about nursing home abuse. Speak up and speak out; someone’s life may depend on it.

Charlie Donahue is a New Hampshire personal injury lawyer located in Keene. Donahue handles injury cases in New Hampshire and across the United States. To learn more about New Hampshire injury attorney, Charlie Donahue, visit Donahuelawfirm.com.

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