Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse
As you or your loved one get older you may find it beneficial to move into a nursing home. If you or your loved one is already living in a nursing home, then you are sure to understand the different levels of care and services provided. Services ranging from medicine administering to social events to memory care are all just a few things that a nursing home is able to provide to its residents and patients. While nursing homes for the most part are very beneficial, there are some occasional negativities that can come from these places. Nursing home neglect is something that has caused pain and suffering to some residents of nursing homes around the country. When this occurs to you or your loved one, it’s important to know that you are not alone and can indeed seek help.
How to Tell if Your Loved is Being Neglected
Some of the most obvious forms of neglect or abuse are if you notice unusual bruises or other cuts that are unexplainable on your loved one. Broken bones are another possible form of abuse on behalf of a nursing home. Neglect can also be seen in diets, medicine administering, lack of exercise or even emotional or mental trauma. It’s possible that the nursing home isn’t providing the necessary nutrients, water or other dietary items to ensure the health of your loved one.
Some other common forms of neglect are a lack of staffing at a nursing home. Due to lack of staffing or improper training there could be staff that do not know how to administer certain medications or care. There also simply may not be enough staff to ensure the proper attention to all of the residents or patients. If your loved one is telling you stories about neglect or even abuse, it’s best to listen to them. Oftentimes people think they can take advantage of the elderly and get away with it. This is why it’s so important to listen to the stories from your loved one, as there is a good chance that the stories they are telling may be valid about neglect or abuse.
When to Seek Help
If your loved one is clearly showing mental or emotional trauma then it’s time to figure out why exactly that is. If there are clear signs of abuse like cuts, broken bones or bruises that are unexplainable, then some further investigating may be required with an eventual possibility of contacting the authorities or police. If you have discussed your concerns with the nursing home and those talks don’t seem to be getting anywhere, then seeking legal counsel may be helpful. If you would like to look for a nursing home neglect lawyer in NJ, then lawyers from a firm like Davis & Brusca, LLC may be able to help you.