Am I Seeing Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?

Am I Seeing Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?

If you have an elderly loved one in a nursing home or other type of care facility, it can be difficult to know what goes on between your visits. Even when you see signs of nursing home abuse, it’s easy to second-guess yourself.

However, elder abuse can take many forms. It’s important to know and understand the signs of each. And if you suspect that your loved one is facing some form of abuse, it is well within reason to investigate further and seek help or guidance on the matter.

If your loved one has been abused in a nursing home in or around Buffalo, our New York nursing home abuse lawyers can help. Contact FeroletoLaw to advocate for your loved one’s rights.

Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse

The most common forms of abuse found in residents of nursing homes include:

• Emotional abuse
• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Financial abuse
• Neglect

No matter the type of abuse your loved one is experiencing, catching it early can be critical in mitigating long-term effects.

Signs of Emotional Abuse in Nursing Homes

Emotional abuse, also known as psychological abuse, can be one of the more difficult forms of nursing home abuse to detect. It can occur in any type of relationship your loved one might have with caregivers, staff, or administration.

Emotional abuse is generally when one person makes another feel bad about themselves, usually through how they speak or act around the victim. Emotional abuse can include put-downs, shouting at,and deliberately embarrassing or humiliating someone. A victim could also be intentionally isolated or have activities, food, or water withheld from them.

While emotional abuse often doesn’t leave physical marks, there are other symptoms you can watch for:

• Changes in demeanor.A victim of emotional elder abuse might show signs of depression, anxiety, anger, or fear that they did not commonly have before.
• Changes in behavior. A victim might take up unusual behaviors such as rocking, sucking their thumb, or biting. They might lose their appetite or sleep poorly.
• Your loved one might tell you.If your loved one mentions that they feel they’re being mistreated by staff or caregivers in their nursing home, listen to them. Ask questions, and do what you can to observe how the staff interacts with your loved one.
• Visible confirmation of abusive interactions with your loved one.If you observe a caregiver being gruff, rude, or irritable with your loved one while you are visiting, it’s worth wondering what might be happening when you are not there.

Signs of Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes

Physical abuse can include any type of bodily harm inflicted on another person. This abuse can come from direct violence against a victim or indirectly in the form of excessive restraint. 

If your loved one is experiencing physical abuse in their nursing home, you may notice signs such as:

• Bruises or other wounds
• Broken, dislocated or sprained bones or joints
• Abrasions or other signs of having been restrained by their wrists, arms, legs, or ankles
• Overmedication, such as sedation, unexplained drowsiness, or lethargy

If a caregiver won’t allow you to be alone with your loved one, this can also be a sign that there is abuse or maltreatment occurring. The caregiver mightnot want to give your loved one an opportunity to tell you what they’re experiencing.

Signs of Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes

Sexual abuse is any sexual contact or activity with a person who either does not or is unable to give consent.This can include intercourse, inappropriate touching, forced nudity, and unwanted explicit talk.

Signs of nursing home sexual abuse may include:

• Unexplained contraction ofsexually transmitted infections
• Bruises, abrasions, or other wounds around their groin, anus, or breasts
• Greater difficulty or pain when sitting or moving
• Undergarments that are torn, stained, or bloody with no explanation
• Behavioral changes such as anxiety, agitation, and sudden fears of certain people or being alone
• Refusing to talk about certain topics or around certain people

Signs of Financial Abuse in Nursing Homes

Elder loved ones can be particularly vulnerable to financial abuse. Financial abuse occurs when a person exploits the monetary resources of another person through fraud, stealing, or trickery.

Financial abuse can be a large risk for those in nursing home care because they tend to be reliant on their caregivers foreveryday aspects of living. This can give caregivers substantial access to a resident’s resources.

Some signs that your loved one is experiencing financial abuse in their nursing home include the following:

• Valuable items, cash, or personal documents missing from their room or belongings
• Strange withdrawals from your loved one’s bank account
• Unusual purchases on their records or bank statements
• Duplicate bills for medical care that was only administered once

Signs of Neglect in Nursing Homes

Neglect is the absence of proper care. For an elderly individual in a nursing home, neglect can have a major negative impact on their health and wellbeing.

Neglect can occur in nursing homes with no malicious intent on the part of the caregivers. It is often a result of poor working conditions, such as:

• Insufficient staff
• Caregiver burnout
• Limited resources
• Poor communication and documentation between staff members
• Inadequate training

Even if the caregivers are well-intended, neglect can still cause great physical and psychological harm. Facility management should be held accountable.

Signs that your loved one may be experiencing caregiver neglect include:

• Weightloss, malnutrition, and dehydration.Your loved one is losing weight at an unhealthy pace, has unusually dry and flaky skin, is not needing to use the bathroom regularly, or is showing signs of confusion or delirium.
• Bedsores. Bedsores occur when a person is bed-bound but isn’trepositioned regularly. This can cause pressure ulcers to form on the parts of their body that are contacting the bed.
• Poor hygiene.Your loved one is in soiled clothing, sheets, or under garments.They may have body odor, matted or uncombed hair, or dirty fingernails.
• Improper medical care.Injuries remain untreated or medication is not administered properly.

What To Do if You Suspect Your Loved One is Experiencing Nursing Home Abuse

If you believe that your loved one is being abused in their nursing home, it’s important that you act quickly to ensure their safety and prevent further abuse.

Collect evidence and document the abuse. Take photos of any injuries, poor living conditions, bad hygiene, or any other visible signs of abuse or neglect. Collect documents such as bank statements showing financial abuse, medical records or x-rays for any injuries your loved one has sustained under care, or any other written correspondence that corroborates the abuse. Recorddates and times of occurrences, as well as names of persons or caregivers involved. Keep all evidence within your possession.

Talk to your loved one. Gently ask your loved one open-ended questions about the care they’re receiving. How do they feel they are being treated? Do they feel safe? Are there particular caregivers that they do or do not feel comfortable with?

Meet with your loved one’s care team. Discuss your concerns with your loved one’s medical professionals.Listen towhat they have noticed and if they see causefor alarm. However, just because they say everything is OK or “natural” does not necessarily mean it is.

Report the abuse.Talk to the person in charge of the nursing home and let them know your concerns. Then contact Adult Protective Services and report to the legal authorities.

Contact an attorney. A skilled nursing home abuse attorney can advocate for your loved one and help them receive fair compensation for their suffering.

Contact Feroleto Law for Fast, Compassionate Legal Action

If you suspect your loved one has experienced abuse or neglect in a New York nursing home,we’re here to help.Our attorneys can help you hold abusive or negligent parties accountable andreceive fair compensation to aid in your family’s recovery.

Call our office at(716) 427-0243 or fill out our contact form to schedule a complimentary and confidential consultation.

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.