We all care deeply for our elders and spend the money required to keep them happy and healthy in a nursing home once they become unable to care for themselves. While many nursing homes care deeply for the clients they care for, others cut corners and provide care that is below acceptable standards. Abuse, injury, neglect, and, sometimes, death can result from a nursing home failing to meet the standard of care. Often, abuse goes unnoticed or is explained away by staff or administrators attempting to avoid blame or liability. So what are the telltale signs of abuse, and what should you do if you notice them.
Death
Obviously, if your otherwise healthy, elderly relative dies suddenly or mysteriously, he or she may have been the victim of abuse. A nursing home will be quick to label it as some other innocuous cause or simple old age. If you have any suspicion that the death was due to neglect or abuse, en engaging counsel immediately is vital.
Malnutrition
Our basic, day-to-day existence is heavily influenced by the food we eat. While it is rare that nursing homes guarantee gourmet meals, they do have a duty provide nutritious and sufficient food and hydration, some cut corners. It can be difficult to differentiate between your loved one’s declining interest in food and malnutrition, but weight loss is an indicator that you should monitor. Is the nursing home monitoring your loved one’s weight? Is your loved one asking you to bring them food or beverages? Dramatic weight loss or a loved one that seems to never have enough food or beverages are warning signs that the nursing home is not meeting the accepted standard of care.
Unusual or Unexplained Injuries
While it is not uncommon for the elderly to lose their balance or fall, some injuries are cause of abuse. Differentiating between unavoidable accidents and abuse can be difficult. But one important consideration is that all injuries should be carefully documented, along with their ensuing care. Asking to review those records is critical to understanding their cause and to letting nursing home staff know that you are keeping a careful watch over your loved one’s care.
Bedsores
You may have placed your loved one in a nursing home because you lacked the time, strength, or skill to remove them from bed, change their bedding, and change their position each day. That is a critical, basic task for any nursing home facility, because people who lay in one position for too long develop painful bed sores. While the pain alone is problematic, the sores can go on to develop into dangerous and even deadly infections.
Dramatic Changes is Mental State
If your loved one has always had a positive, outgoing disposition and now has retreated into a constant state of depression, they may be suffering from some sort of abuse. Similarly, if they report being treated roughly or physically disciplined by nursing home staff, this is a clear indicator that they are being abused. Follow up on any report of physical mistreatment with nursing home staff immediately.
What Should You Do if You Suspect Abuse or Neglect?
A negligence claim stemming from nursing home neglect calls for an experienced personal injury attorney.
Call Barrett Law Now!
When a loved one has been injured or killed due to ineffective or negligent nursing home care, entrusting representation to anyone less than a highly experienced personal injury attorney is a mistake. The Mississippi Personal Injury Attorney at Barrett Law has the experience to take on the nursing home’s defense counsel that is focused on denying your compensation for the harm your loved one experienced. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.