As your loved one ages, they may need round-the-clock care that you cannot provide for them. When this is the case, you may have to make the difficult decision of moving them into an assisted living or rehabilitation facility where they can receive 24-hour assistance. When you move your elderly loved one into a nursing home, you entrust that their caregivers will provide adequate care. Sadly, this trust is often broken as nursing home abuse and neglect is fairly common. Residents in nursing homes that participate in federal Medicare programs have the right to be free from verbal, sexual, physical, and mental abuse. Even facilities that are not federally regulated provide residents with certain rights that protect them from being wrongfully abused and neglected. Nursing homes can be held legally liable for any type of abuse or inadequate care. If you believe your elderly loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse and neglect, it is in your best interest to retain a trusted New York City Personal Injury Lawyer who can help you navigate your legal options. Keep reading to learn about the most common signs of nursing home abuse and neglect to ensure you can detect whether your loved one is being mistreated.
What is nursing home abuse and neglect?
Nursing home abuse occurs when a resident of an assisted living or rehabilitation facility suffers physical, emotional, or psychological harm because of the negligent or intentional actions of their caregiver. Oftentimes, nursing home neglect occurs because caregivers fail to take proper care of a resident. However, in some cases, caregivers maliciously harm residents. Unfortunately, residents who are being abused or neglected may not be able to speak up for themselves. When this is the case, their families must safeguard their loved one’s overall well-being. It is critical for those with elderly loved ones residing in a long-term care facility to know the telltale signs of nursing home abuse and neglect. The following are some of the most common signs of nursing home abuse and neglect:
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Unsafe living conditions
- Lack of hygiene
- Unexplained injuries
- Unexplained death
- Failure to provide medications
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Bed sores
- Elopement
- Isolation
- Non-communicative
- Reluctance to speak to family in front of caregivers
- Emotionally withdrawn and easily agitated
- Sudden behavior change
These are only some of the signs of abuse and neglect. Physical abuse is easier to detect while emotional abuse is more difficult to catch as caregivers rarely mistreat residents in front of their families. Furthermore, when allegations of nursing home abuse or neglect occur, accusations are investigated thoroughly. The long-term care facility may make changes to better protect residents from abuse and neglect. However, even if they make necessary changes you can still take legal action against the nursing home to recover monetary compensation for your loved ones’ damages.
If you have recently discovered that your loved one has suffered nursing home abuse or neglect and you are unsure of how to proceed, please contact one of our seasoned team members. Our firm is prepared to work tirelessly to help you get justice for your loved one. Discovering your loved one has been mistreated by their caregiver can be extremely overwhelming. Don’t navigate this process alone. Allow our firm to represent your interests today.
