Placing your loved ones in the trust of another person is an extraordinarily difficult decision for many. However, when your parent, grandparent, or other family member can no longer take care of themselves, investing in a nursing home is often the only option for many. While there are many homes and staff members that treat their patients like family, nursing home abuse, unfortunately, does happen. If your loved one is in the care of a home, it’s essential to know the signs and symptoms of abuse. Keep reading to learn more about what you must look for and discover how a Prince George’s County nursing home neglect lawyer can help you get justice.
What Warrants Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse occurs when someone in the care of a facility suffers the intentional pain and suffering inflicted by a staff member. Similarly, they may suffer due to negligence, which occurs when a staff member intentionally or unintentionally fails to meet the basic needs of those in their care.
Abuse in nursing homes is not just limited to physical assault. It can also include the following behavior:
- Using excessive force to retrain a patient
- Giving sedative medication to a patient without the order of a physician
- Purposely withhold medication as punishment
- Violently shaking patients out of frustration
However, these are just acts of physical abuse. Unfortunately, mental, emotional, verbal, financial, and sexual abuse do frequently occur in nursing homes.
Neglect in nursing homes can often look like the following behavior:
- Failure to provide the necessary medical care
- Forgetting to provide food and water
- Leaving patients with incontinence for extended periods of time
- Leaving patients in unsanitary conditions
- Failing to remedy unsafe situations
What Signs Should I Look Out For?
If you have a loved one in the care of a nursing home, understanding what behaviors and physical indicators of abuse you must be aware of is crucial. Though it can be unpleasant to think about, staying vigilant is vital. The following are often indicators of abuse or neglect:
- Unexplained cuts, bruises, broken bones, or other injuries
- Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases
- Pressure ulcers (bedsores)
- Fear of staff
- Complaints of staff members
- Drastic changes in behavior
- Extreme weight loss
- Malnutrition and dehydration
If you notice any of the signs and your loved one is in immediate danger, you’ll want to contact emergency services as soon as possible to get the patient treated for injuries. Once they are safe, you should reach out to an experienced nursing home abuse attorney,
At McCarthy, Winkelman & Mester, we understand how devastating it can be to discover your loved one is being mistreated by those you entrusted to look after them. As such, our dedicated legal team will do everything possible to fight for the justice you and your family deserve. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.
