Nursing home neglect is a problem that many of our senior citizens are faced with on a daily basis. Nursing homes are in a fiduciary relationship of sorts with their residents usually frail or even disabled and unable to take care of themselves. It is the responsibility of the caretakers at nursing homes to provide senior citizens with the loving care they deserve in their final years. Any society is only as good as how well it treats its most vulnerable citizens, which is why holding nursing homes accountable is extremely important.
Nursing home neglect can happen in a variety of different ways. The most visible signs of nursing home neglect include bad hygiene, bed sores (also known asdecubitus ulcers), dehydration, malnutrition, signs of strangulation, injuries with restraint marks and unexplained fractures. It includes physical abuse, where the primary caregiver, a nurse or an attendant, subjects the resident to deliberate harm, in both sexual and non-sexual ways such as sexual assault, inappropriate sexual contact, beatings, starvation and abandonment. Evidence of assault includes bruises, blisters, bruising around genitalia and other unexplained marks which might appear all over the persons body. All substandard living conditions, including the sanitary conditions of the toilets and bathing areas, are also part of nursing home neglect. On many occasions the attendants sedate the seniors. Any sedation that exceeds the requirement is also part of nursing home neglect.
Nursing homes claiming to be skilled nursing facilities have a greater liability towards their residents. Therefore, specific instances of medical malpractice such as careless diagnosis or substandard medical attention will also fall under the broad realm of nursing home neglect. At times a senior may be threatened into keeping quiet and could become reclusive, disturbed and visibly depressed. This is why it is very important to periodically visit your loved one to check up on them and see if they are receiving the loving care that you signed them up for. Persistent nursing home neglect and abuse can lead to physical injury, emotional trauma and in some cases even death. It is very important, therefore, to keep an eye out for even the slightest indication that some kind of nursing home abuse may be occurring at the nursing home where your loved one resides.
If you suspect that your loved one is a victim of nursing home neglect or abuse, alert the law enforcement authorities and contact a lawyer who specializes in nursing home neglect. Choosing the right lawyer is very important because a lawyer specializing in this area has to be compassionate and willing to travel. The lawyer must also be resourceful and able to investigate the nursing home conditions independently. Only a lawyer can finally determine whether you or your loved one has a genuine case of nursing home neglect or abuse.
Nursing home neglect can happen in a variety of different ways. The most visible signs of nursing home neglect include bad hygiene, bed sores (also known asdecubitus ulcers), dehydration, malnutrition, signs of strangulation, injuries with restraint marks and unexplained fractures. It includes physical abuse, where the primary caregiver, a nurse or an attendant, subjects the resident to deliberate harm, in both sexual and non-sexual ways such as sexual assault, inappropriate sexual contact, beatings, starvation and abandonment. Evidence of assault includes bruises, blisters, bruising around genitalia and other unexplained marks which might appear all over the persons body. All substandard living conditions, including the sanitary conditions of the toilets and bathing areas, are also part of nursing home neglect. On many occasions the attendants sedate the seniors. Any sedation that exceeds the requirement is also part of nursing home neglect.
Nursing homes claiming to be skilled nursing facilities have a greater liability towards their residents. Therefore, specific instances of medical malpractice such as careless diagnosis or substandard medical attention will also fall under the broad realm of nursing home neglect. At times a senior may be threatened into keeping quiet and could become reclusive, disturbed and visibly depressed. This is why it is very important to periodically visit your loved one to check up on them and see if they are receiving the loving care that you signed them up for. Persistent nursing home neglect and abuse can lead to physical injury, emotional trauma and in some cases even death. It is very important, therefore, to keep an eye out for even the slightest indication that some kind of nursing home abuse may be occurring at the nursing home where your loved one resides.
If you suspect that your loved one is a victim of nursing home neglect or abuse, alert the law enforcement authorities and contact a lawyer who specializes in nursing home neglect. Choosing the right lawyer is very important because a lawyer specializing in this area has to be compassionate and willing to travel. The lawyer must also be resourceful and able to investigate the nursing home conditions independently. Only a lawyer can finally determine whether you or your loved one has a genuine case of nursing home neglect or abuse.