WHAT IS NURSING HOME ABUSE & NEGLECT?
What is nursing home abuse? Nursing home abuse and neglect means the caregiver intends to harm the elderly person, nursing home abuse is a form of sub-standard care, or a breach of duty, that causes harm to the patient. The actions of the caregiver must be expected to cause harm to the resident who has been abused.
What are the warning signs of nursing home abuse? Nursing home neglect is similar to nursing home abuse in many ways, but they are not the same. While nursing home abuse implies a specific intent to harm the elder, nursing home neglect is defined as a breach of duty or form of sub-standard care that results in harm to the patient. The breach of duty or sub-standard care must be a reasonably foreseeable outcome of the nursing home’s negligent actions.
What is nursing home neglect? nursing home neglect is a form of substandard care, or a breach of duty, that causes harm to the patient. The actions of the caregiver must be expected to cause harm to the resident who has been neglected.
WARNING SIGNS OF NURSING HOME ABUSE
Elderly family members are more at risk than any other demographic for Nursing Home Abuse, approximately one and three patients are abused while in the care of a nursing facility. Here’s the signs to look for if you suspect abuse of yourself or a loved one. Remember, the signs of abuse can be subtle so be alert when visiting family members and visit often. Even if the mental health of the family member is declining, all claims of abuse and neglect should be investigated and taken seriously.
PHYSICAL ABUSE
• Unexplained broken bones, dislocations or sprains
• Bruising, scars or welts
• Improper medication use
• Rope marks on the wrist
• Broken eyeglasses
• Aggressive behavior towards caregiver when left alone with family member
EMOTIONAL ABUSE
• Unusual behavior similar to symptoms of dementia, including mumbling behaviors, sucking one’s thumb, or rocking behaviors.
• Abuse language, belittling, controlling or threatening behavior on the part of the caregiver.
• Reserved or resistant behavior from loved one.
SEXUAL ABUSE
• Unexplained STDs or other infections and symptoms
• Bruising near the genitals or around the breasts
• Stained, bloody or torn undergarments
• Bleeding in genital areas unrelated to a medical condition
WARNING SIGNS OF NURSING HOME NEGLECT
Nursing Home Neglect is a form of substandard care, or a breach of duty, that causes harm to the patient. The actions of the caregiver must be expected to cause harm to the resident who has been neglected. Neglect can be subtle and progress over time. Here are the types of neglect most often seen in nursing facilities.
TYPES OF NURSING HOME NEGLECT
• Medical neglect. Failure to attend and adequately prevent medical concerns of the resident, including provisional care for all medical conditions.
• Neglect of Basic Needs. Failure to provide sufficient basic resources including food and water.
• Neglect of Personal Hygiene. Nursing home residents do not have adequate assistance with cleaning, brushing their teeth, laundry, bathing or other hygiene practices.
• Social or Emotional Neglect. Where the staff members repeatedly ignore the patient, leave them unattended to hours at a time or use verbally dismissive and aggressive language.
SIGNS OF NURSING HOME NEGLECT
• Substandard care as evidenced by bedsores and frequent infections.
• Sudden weight loss, in elderly who require feeding assistance.
• bedsore or pressure ulcers at various stages of severity from failure to adequately turn the resident.
• unexplained falls resulting in injuries.
• Dehydration from failure to adhere to patients basic needs.
• Withdrawn behavior in the resident or abnormal changes in their behavior
• Failing to sustain friendly interaction with their fellow nursing facility residents
• Alterations in appearance or personal hygiene, lack of personal hygiene.
• The presence of environmental hazards, such as slippery floors, bad lighting, unsafe wheelchairs and walkers and unsafe furniture in the nursing facility resident’s room