It can be hard to entrust the care of an elderly loved one to a nursing home. These facilities are heavily regulated in order to ensure safe care for your loved one, but the sad reality is that nursing home abuse and neglect continues to occur at an alarming rate in nursing home settings.
What can you do to protect your loved one?
You can start by keeping an eye out for signs of nursing home abuse or neglect. Red flags may include any of the following:
- Bedsores
- Unexplained bruising
- Loss of weight
- Dehydration
- Cuts
- Broken bones
- Poor hygiene
- Welts
- Discoloration of the skin
Any of these signs may be indicative of your loved one being subjected to nursing home abuse or neglect. But what should you do if you suspect that your loved one is being treated improperly?
Performing your due diligence
Once you start seeing red flags of abuse or neglect, you should start asking questions. Talk to your loved one to get their account, obviously, but also talk to nursing home staff and other residents. This might give you a clearer sense of the kind of care provided in the facility and help you determine if abusive and neglectful practices exist.
You might want to also obtain your loved one’s medical records to see if there are indications that your loved one has been abused or neglected. An attorney may be able to assist you in getting access to these records and appropriately analyze them.
Take legal action when necessary
It the evidence is pointing to your loved one being abused or neglected, then you or your loved one needs to take action to find accountability. This may mean filing a lawsuit supported by the evidence that you’ve uncovered. If you think that you could benefit from having some assistance in building one of these claims, research your representation options to determine what kind of advocacy is right for you and your loved one.
