Detecting Various Forms of Nursing Home Abuse

 Posted on January 05, 2023 in Personal Injury

A nursing home resident and their family should feel confident that the needs of their loved one is being met and that they will be safe from harm. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable in our population may be afraid to speak up or cannot always speak up about abuse. Abuse is prevalent in nursing homes and it can take many forms, including physical and mental abuse. More than 1.4 million people suffer nursing home abuse. Your loved one deserves quality care and to live with dignity. At Tahmazian Law Firm, P.C., we try to protect their rights and seek the compensation that your family is entitled to if they have suffered from abuse in their nursing home.

Vigilant Family Members Needed

Under California law, elder abuse is the physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a person who is 65 years or older. Nursing home abuse may not be easy to spot but family members should be vigilant, asking questions and visiting their loved ones regularly if possible. Demonstrating that abuse is happening behind the closed doors of a nursing home when you are not present can be challenging. If you see anything concerning, the best thing you can do is to take photos and document everything, especially if it shows the progression of an injury or abuse over some time.

Signs of Abuse at a Nursing Home

Physical injuries are perhaps the most obvious signs of abuse. Whether you notice minor scrapes or broken bones, nursing home staff owe you an explanation. Always ask questions, demand an explanation, and seek out others at the facility who can corroborate the chain of events. The following are also forms of nursing home abuse:

• People living in nursing homes have difficulty moving around and they depend on others to change their position in bed or a wheelchair. If precautions are not being taken, the patient runs the risk of developing bedsores. If bedsores are not treated, they can easily become infected. Equally important is to notice soiled beds, which can indicate that abuse is taking place. 

• Often staff members utilize verbal abuse with an uncooperative resident, which can cause emotional trauma that may have a drastic effect on a patient's overall well-being.

• Nursing home residents can be taken advantage of sexually by staff members or even other patients, especially those with dementia, because the perpetrator believes the victim will not remember or be believed.

• It may be hard for your loved one to adapt to living in a nursing home, but if you see that they stop participating in activities and refuse to socialize, it could be a sign of a bigger problem. You need to dig deeper and understand whether there is a reason why your loved one has developed anxiety or depression.

• Abnormal weight loss should be investigated because it could signal a host of other problems at the facility. Weight loss can be directly linked to malnutrition but it can also be triggered by stress or anxiety over something that is happening at the nursing home.

• If your family member appears disoriented or anxious, it could be linked to overmedication, another way for an abuser to take advantage of nursing home residents.

Contact a Los Angeles Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

If you believe your loved one is being abused at a nursing home, you need to contact a Glendale nursing home attorney at Tahmazian Law Firm, P.C.. We will help you determine your legal options in the event of a nursing home injury and try to ensure your family is fully compensated. Call 818-242-8201 for a free consultation.

Source:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=368