Sadly, it’s not always as easy as we think to spot and identify nursing home abuse and neglect. Even upon repeated visits to a nursing home, the signs can be easily missed. We thought we’d take a few moments to cover a few things beyond physical abuse to look for when you suspect nursing home abuse or neglect.
- Personal Hygiene Neglect. Victims may not be receiving the help they need with bathing, grooming, and general cleanliness, and the signs of their abuse become more obvious over time.
- Medical Neglect. Pressure sores or bed sores are the result of staying in a seated or reclined position for a long period of time. Many elderly people also need medication to survive. Unfortunately, far too often nursing homes skip or fail to administer treatments.
- Basic Needs Neglect. Dehydration and malnutrition are two of the most common outcomes of neglect. A clean, safe environment is also important.
- Emotional Neglect. This can be one of the hardest types of neglect to identify. Staff can react to residents in an unfriendly manner, which over time can have devastating effects. The elderly are very susceptible to depression and can withdraw from social activities and even personal relationships.
If you suspect someone you know has fallen victim to any of the above forms of nursing home abuse or neglect, you should talk about it with the victim immediately. If they deny mistreatment, but you still feel there is a strong case for further investigation, call the elder abuse hotline at 1-800-752-6200. You should also consider contacting a nursing home abuse and neglect attorney like McCoy & Hiestand Attorneys at Law to discuss the situation.