Nursing Home Abuse Help

Speaking with an elder neglect attorney doesn't have to be expensive. Actually, certain lawyers will take your case on contingency. This means that they don’t receive compensation unless you win your claim. Additionally, this also means that you shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch with such an attorney if you or someone you love has been abused. There are several varying kinds of abuse, but they all involve a violation of trust on the part of the healthcare provider. Some types are simpler to spot than others.

The simplest types of senior neglect to spot are usually the bodily kinds. These may include assault, improper use of medicine, overmedication or sexual abuse. The indicators are exactly what you’d likely expect. Search for bruises, abrasions and lacerations. Some especially disturbed individuals have been known to burn elders with cigarettes or find other ways to torture elders to get the elders to comply with demands. None of these wounds should be considered normal and all of them should be regarded with suspicion. Always have your eye out for the signs of physical abuse against an elder.

On the other hand, mental abuse can be much more difficult to detect. Many nursing home mistreatment cases involve severe verbal abuse and, in many instances, nursing home staff members will threaten the elderly patients. You should realize that this puts an elderly individual in a very difficult situation. In many instances, they're not strong enough to defend themselves against a staff member, who is in their prime, and this makes the elderly individual extremely vulnerable. This loss of pride or dignity may be expressed as a complete withdrawal from social activities or severe depression of the elderly patient. This can be prevented and there is absolutely no reason that anyone, young or old, should have to suffer this kind of abuse.

Nursing home negligence sometimes means that your loved one isn’t treated at all. The elder patient could be left in bed or sitting in a wheelchair being ignored for long periods of time. This is a form of abuse, even if it doesn’t involve hitting or yelling. You should be aware of these signs of neglect, including poor hygiene. The finger and toenails may be long and unkempt. Body odor is common due to a lack of bathing and, in the worst cases, diapers may not be changed when needed. No one needs to suffer nursing home mistreatment. If you have, you may be able to get compensation for you and for your loved one.