Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing homes are meant to provide a safe place for elderly relatives, where they are given care designed to promote their wellbeing in their later age. Despite this, 1 in 6 elderly individuals are abused in a community setting. In addition, 1 in 3 US nursing home facilities have been issued citations for abuse.
Any type of harm, whether physical, emotional, or financial, is classified as nursing home abuse when experienced by elderly patients receiving long-term care. Family members should check in regularly to ensure the safety of their loved ones.
Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
- Increased Confusion or Drowsiness: Caused by medication overdose, leaving adverse side effects unmonitored, and failure to make necessary adjustments to prescriptions.
- Incontinence: Untimely or unavailable help with bathroom use can lead to incontinence. If the patient is already incontinent, skin breakdown in the diaper area is a sign of infrequent changing.
- Immobility and Difficulty Moving: Lack of assistance with daily walking or exercise programs can decrease patient mobility.
- Poor Personal Hygiene: Wearing dirty clothes, unwashed hair, untrimmed nails, body odor, and smelling of urine or feces are indicative of the absence of basic personal care.
- Unexplained Injuries: Bruises, broken bones, or scratches with unknown origins can result from overly aggressive handling.
- Dehydrated or Malnourishment: Dry lips, decreased urine output, sudden weight loss may result if food is being withheld from the patient or they are not provided with necessary assistance
- Bedsores and Infections: When confined to bed, patients that develop bedsores, open wounds, and urinary tract infections are not receiving proper care.
- Unexplained Falls: Failure to monitor patients or provide adequate assistance can lead to falls, resulting in injuries that can have serious complications.
- Withdrawn: Personality may become withdrawn and isolated due to lack of mental stimulation or activity participation.
- Fear and Anxiety: Nursing home abuse victims may exhibit fear, afraid of retaliation and punishment.
Often, elderly patients are embarrassed or afraid to report instances of abuse that may come from nursing home staff, other patients, or the family of other patients. This makes it essential that family members pay close attention to their elderly relatives under the care of a nursing home. If nursing home abuse is occurring, the responsible party must be held accountable.
Nursing Home Negligence Attorneys
Burch, Porter & Johnson is your nursing home abuse attorney in Memphis and has a team of expert nursing home abuse attorneys ready to help you resolve your case. We are compassionate, yet aggressive attorneys committed to holding abusers and their institutions accountable and winning a fair outcome. We serve the areas of Memphis, western Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, northern Mississippi. If your loved one has signs of nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect, contact us today so we can rightfully protect your loved one from further harm.