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The programs also protect the rights of elderly persons by investigating abuse and neglect complaints and holding nursing homes responsible for their actions. There are instances where staff take advantage of nursing home residents. Unfortunately, those unable to care for themselves may easily fall victim to physical or sexual abuse in assisted living facilities and even in their own home. If your loved one is in a nursing home or elder care facility, you put your trust in the facility to take care of them. Nursing home abuse is any type of harm that happens to residents in the facilities. This could include physical or emotional injuries, sexual assault, and financial or other types of abuse.
When an elderly person is put in a nursing home, there may be a risk of abuse if the facility is understaffed or has a history of poor care. Oftentimes, neglect occurs due to a shortage of staff at an assisted living facility or nursing home. It may also happen when a caregiver is unable to meet the needs of the victim because of their own medical problems. Our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys have represented the rights of injured residents against Brookdale Senior Living and other nursing homes throughout Florida. We truly believe that these facilities should be held fully liable for any physical or psychological injuries that residents suffer and we will bring all of our resources to the table in every injury case.
What Are Signs of Elder Financial Abuse?
According to a recent study, victims of elder abuse are twice as likely to die prematurely than those who aren’t abused. So, while we don’t want anyone to worry unnecessarily, we also want to provide our fellow Chicagoans with all of the information necessary to keep our elderly neighbors safe. We’ll go over the warning signs of both nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect below.
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse , psychological abuse is the most commonly reported type of abuse in nursing homes. Physical elder abuse is when someone uses physical force against an older person, resulting in physical harm or personal injury. The Chicago elder abuse attorneys at Curcio Law Offices focus on all types of nursing home abuse cases.
What’s Happening to Grandpa? 4 Types of Abuse in Nursing Homes
Individuals who are around the elderly regularly may be in the best position to recognize the warning signs of elder abuse. If you notice that your loved one is separated from other nursing home residents during feedings or physical activity time, ask the nursing home workers why. And, if you start to see a pattern forming, you’re likely witnessing intentional emotional neglect. Physical abuse in nursing homes occurs whenever a nursing home resident suffers from bodily harm, impairment, or pain because of mistreatment. Poor physical and mental health may increase the chances of elder abuse. For instance, residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s are more vulnerable to elder abuse.
Financial abuse is the misappropriation of a resident's belongings, money or inappropriately accessing bank accounts. A caregiver who solicits tips or compensation in addition to his or her pay may be guilty of financial abuse. Billing for care that was not provided can be a form of fraud and financial abuse.
Nursing Home Abuse - What is Nursing Home Abuse?
Caregivers should be monitored closely to ensure that residents are getting the treatments they've paid for. Physical abuse can lead to serious injuries, including broken bones, bleeding, burns, and sprains. Physical abuse includes actions such as hitting, shoving, and kicking as well as retraining or locking someone up against their will.
Sadly, many times, sexual abuse goes unnoticed by family members until their loved one sustains a physical injury that’s bad enough to land them in the local emergency room. We’ve seen many cases where an emergency room staff member discloses information to the family concerning torn or bloody undergarments or unexplained injuries inside the genital regions themselves. Nursing home abuse refers to any act of harm enacted on residents in long-term care facilities.
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If you visit your elderly family member and see that they are not adequately taken care of, it is important to step in and ensure they get the assistance they need. You may need to visit more often or have them transferred to a more attentive facility. If this is a regular occurrence or if the neglect is severe, you should file a report. Sexual abuse is the least common form of abuse experienced by people in nursing home facilities.
When nursing home employees are not adequately trained, they can become easily frustrated and stressed. While many employees have healthy coping methods, some take out their stress by harming the residents. In 2014, according to the National Ombudsman Reporting System, 14,258 (7.6%) of approximately 188,599 complaints reported involved abuse, gross neglect, or exploitation. In 2020, the New York Times reported on a facility in California that kicked out a resident with dementia and dropped him off at a halfway house. The facility didn’t inform the victim’s family members and he was found wandering the streets alone. Nursing home staff members may not give enough food or water to residents.
Mental and emotional abuse is likely the most common type of abuse in nursing homes – but it can also be the most difficult to detect. In a nursing home, sometimes residents will refuse or fail to use their prescribed medications, glasses, or other medical devices. This also includes instances where personal hygiene lapses or they put their safety at risk by walking away or fleeing the nursing home premises. Recognizing the signs of nursing home abuse or neglect helps ensure your loved ones won't experience those things.
Visit the Nursing Home Abuse Center website to learn more about identifying mistreatment and what your legal options are. Psychological abuse is when someone intentionally says or does something to cause another person distress, fear, or anguish. We are committed to utilizing our experience, skills and resources to get you the compensation you deserve. Severe dehydration can severely impact the kidneys and other parts of the urinary system.
Each type of abuse is awful, but some are harder to spot than others. We’ll start with the most obvious ones, and work our way down to those that are more subtle. Our attorneys are dedicated to helping you recover financially from an injury stemming from someone else's negligence. Once you have met with a lawyer and gotten your questions answered, you can begin an attorney-client relationship.
Result: $9 Million
If you suspect a loved one or someone you know is the victim of nursing home abuse, don’t hesitate to take action to stop the abuse. From medical care and community life to assisting with daily activities, nursing homes provide valuable services and can promote the well-being of older persons in many ways. Nursing home neglect happens when residents don’t receive proper care and suffer mental or physical health problems.
A survey involving 577 nursing aides from 31 care facilities revealed that 36% of caregivers had witnessed some form of elder abuse within 12 months. Physical abuse occurs when a nursing home staff member uses some form of physical force to punish, control, or intentionally cause harm to a resident, and the force that is used is unnecessary or excessive. For example, it may be necessary to restrain a resident who is causing harm to themselves or others. What would be unnecessary, though, is drugging a resident to sedate them without any cause.
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