Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

The elderly population is a vulnerable group that often needs others to watch out for their health and care. The elderly can become victims of neglect, abuse, and exploitation. Sadly, they don’t always receive the respect and consideration that they deserve. This is especially true in nursing home facilities, where the perpetrators can be nursing home caregivers, doctors, or other residents. The most prevalent forms of abuse are described in further detail below. 

Physical Injury

Physical abuse entails any type of physical harm inflicted on the senior person, including hitting, kicking, grabbing, shoving, unwarranted use of restraint tools, and any other purposeful act that results in injury. As a nursing home neglect lawyer explains, if you notice physical wounds on your loved one, such as bruises, cuts, or other injuries that don’t seem to have an explanation, it is worth investigating further. 

Sexual Abuse

As difficult it may be to imagine, sexual abuse does happen to nursing home residents. Sexual abuse is any contact by one person onto another that is non-consensual. Harm of a sexual nature against senior people frequently goes underreported and lacks proper investigation. Family members who notice these symptoms must contact a lawyer as soon as possible:

• Bruises in areas near the genital region, breasts, or thighs
• Stained or torn clothing, along with the presence of blood
• Unexplained infections or STDs
• Restless when sitting, sleeping, or walking
• Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, agitation, or fear (particularly if towards a specific caregiver)

Neglect

There are various forms of neglect that can occur, and may include purposeful isolation, failing to change soiled clothes or linens, failing to provide medical attention in a reasonable timeframe, forgetting to provide meals or medication, and other inaction that results in harm to the resident. Nursing home facilities have a duty to every resident to take care of them and not cause harm. 

Emotional Abuse

Abuse can be internal, and may not present as physical signs. Emotional abuse is serious too, and can cause the resident to feel constant fear or worry over continued mistreatment. This form of abuse can entail yelling, threatening, or otherwise instilling fear on the resident. Suffering emotionally can eventually cause physical illnesses to develop. 

Financial Exploitation

Cargivers at the nursing home facility may have access to the resident’s personal files and financial information. If you notice odd bank transactions, transfers of money, sudden changes to estate plan documents, or other charges that your loved one could not have made themselves, it’s possible a caregiver is exploiting them financially. 

Senior people must be protected from harm, which can happen in everyday life or when living at a nursing home facility. Family members are encouraged to visit their relative on a regular basis, stay involved in their care, and continue to monitor for signs of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Any signs of harm must be reported to a lawyer, similar to the team at Davis & Brusca, LLC, and steps taken to safely remove the resident from the nursing home while holding the offending people responsible.