Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

While nursing homes are supposed to be places to keep our family members and loved ones safe and happy, some nursing homes fail to provide this. If you suspect or wonder if your loved one is being abused, there are a few different signs that you can look for, which we will explain in detail below. Keep in mind that you should not be hard on yourself for not noticing the signs sooner. Instead, focus on the fact that you are trying to be aware of the signs now. Talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer from The Cashman Law Firm today.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is the main type of abuse that people look for when their family member is in a nursing home. This abuse typically includes kicking, punching, hitting, pinching, scratching, spitting, and force-feeding. The different signs you can look for when it comes to physical abuse are bruises, restraint marks, cuts, scars, welts, and scratches.

Neglect

Neglect can be tricky to pinpoint as this is when an individual has been left alone too long or not properly taken care of. When neglect occurs, it is usually because a worker or caregiver is lazy and does not care about their job. The signs to look for are bedsores, your loved one’s medication not needing refills, your loved one not getting a bath often, or your loved one complaining of being hungry or losing weight.

Psychological or Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is the most common form of abuse in nursing homes. The World Health Organization stated that 34 percent of nursing home residents and their families reported emotional and psychological abuse in 2017. This typically includes screaming, cursing, ignoring, humiliating, and threatening. The signs to keep an eye out for are visible fear, rude workers, other residents’ behavior, and complaints from your loved one about someone being unkind to them.

Sexual Abuse

Even though sexual abuse does not happen as often as other types of abuse, it does still happen, unfortunately. This is defined as when a worker or another resident sexually violates the resident without their consent. Signs that you can pay attention to if you believe that your loved one may have been sexually abused are STDs, bruises in personal areas, genital bleeding, and pain while walking.

Financial Abuse

A lot of people may not ever think that their loved ones could experience financial abuse in a nursing home. However, this type of abuse does happen more often than you might think. You can look for signs of financial abuse by checking your loved one’s bank account. If you see any unknown changes, such as unexplained withdrawals, unexplained transactions, and ATM visits when your loved one was at the nursing home, there is a good chance that they may be experiencing financial abuse.

Contact Us Today if Your Loved One is a Victim of Nursing Home Abuse

If you or your loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse, our experienced lawyers in Massachusetts will be glad to assist you. We are educated on the laws surrounding this type of abuse and will do everything we can to make sure your voice is heard. Call The Cashman Law Firm today or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.