6 Signs a Loved One May be Abused in a Nursing Home

It is one of the most difficult things for a family to be told – that there is a chance that their loved one has been a victim of nursing home elder abuse or neglect. Trust has been broken and those whose job it was to take care of your loved one has done the exact opposite. When it comes to cases of abuse in a nursing home, we want to ensure that residents do have a voice to speak up for them.

Fighting Against Nursing Home Abuse

Some of the signs of nursing home abuse are very obvious, others are not as obvious. Knowing what to look for and the questions to ask can help you uncover the type and severity of abuse or neglect that has taken place. If your loved one has been in the care of a nursing home facility and has developed bed sores, seems to be dehydrated or malnourished, has been injured in some way from a slip or fall, you suspect they are living in unsanitary conditions, or seem to be suddenly regressing in mental clarity or having other abnormal physical and mental problems, they may be a victim of abuse or neglect. If you notice any of these signs and feel that something isn’t right, it is time to contact a legal professional to help you find out what is going on and if abuse has occurred and what your rights are.

Legal Help For Abuse and Neglect Cases

At our law firm, we have years of experience and have helped protect the rights of many victims and their families. By providing aggressive legal representation our legal team has successfully secured millions of dollars in recoveries for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect and we have helped their families start picking up the pieces.  Call us today to see what we can do for you.

Warning Signs to Look For

  • 1. Very noticeable emotional or physical changes. When your loved one suddenly seems withdrawn and quiet, no longer wants to participate in activities, and seem moody, depressed, or otherwise unlike themselves it may be a warning signal of something going on. The worse and more drastic the change and the longer it lasts the more concerned you should be.
  • 2. Unanswered or deflected questions is another red flag many families notice ahead of abuse or neglect. It is ok for staff now and then to need to defer a question of yours to someone else or to get back to you with answers. But if they seem flippant or that they don’t care, take note. If staff are evasive with your questions, unable to answer your questions, or refuse to discuss details of care then that should be considered a huge red flag.
  • 3. Frantic, rude, disorganized, forgetful, or inadequate staff. There may always be days where things seem a little crazy and times during the day where thing are more hectic than normal and this is fairly normal. But does it always feel chaotic during every visit? Are staff fighting among themselves? At meals, does the staff interact with the residents? Does important information get lost between shift changes? Does it always feel like the staff don’t want to be there? Pay attention and look for these kinds of signs.
  • 4. High staff turnover. Nursing home care is very stressful so some staff changes are normal, but if you are seeing that your loved one’s nursing home seems to always be changing out new people or they have such a massive change in staff all at once that no one on the staff knows your loved one, that could be an indication of problems going on behind the scenes that can impact the care your loved one receives.
  • 5. Your loved one being fearful of particular staff members. It is normal for your loved one to possibly not like some of the staff but there is a big difference in not liking them and being fearful. Saying something like – so and so doesn’t pick out the clothes I like to wear- is a lot different than saying something like – so and so is mean to me and yells at me. Listen for these clues and also watch your loved one to see how they react when staff come by and how the staff interact with your loved one. It can be very telling and can be a strong indication of possible problems.
  • 6. Not answering phones and call lights. There should always be staff manning the nursing station or front desk where calls come in so there really is no excuse for always waiting forever to have someone answer the call or the phone always going right to voice mail. Also check to see how fast staff respond to call lights from the patients, especially if a loved one has told you they wait a long time and have had accidents or been hurt because they have had to try and get to the bathroom or do something else on their own because the staff would not come to help.

It is never a good thing to find that a loved one has suffered from abuse in a nursing home, but if you find yourself in this position, give us a call and let us fight for you and your loved one!