Nursing Home Abuse | Recognizing Homecare and Nursing Home Abuse

Recognizing Homecare and Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse neglect cases oftentimes involve large facilities. One of the most dangerous situations for an elder to be in, however, is one where they are the recipient of homecare and there is an abusive individual involved. The isolation makes the situation worse and, because the patient is alone with the person for extended periods of time, there is ample opportunity to abuse the elder. Here are some things to watch for.

Signs of Neglect

Not being clean, missing medications and conditions that were formerly stable but which start to rapidly get worse are signs that elderly neglect may be a concern. In these situations, the elderly person may be at risk of taking seriously ill or dying because they are not being treated as required. Make sure that the agency you hire background checks all of their employees and that they are all qualified for their jobs. There are bad agencies out there and you have to be on the lookout for them so you can be sure that they're not putting your loved one at risk.

Talking to Your Loved One

Oftentimes, elderly people complain about abuse and aren't listened to. In cases where physical or sexual abuse is being perpetrated, there are signs that a doctor or a sharp family member can spot. Ironically, this makes psychological and financial abuse more dangerous insofar as they're oftentimes harder to spot and, if the elder doesn't speak up, they may not be spotted at all.

Doctors

Your family physician is a tremendous resource when you suspect abuse. You have to tell them about your suspicions. If you can get them to give your loved one an exam, they can look for the physical and psychological signs of abuse without causing a confrontation, which will sometimes cause a victim to say nothing out of embarrassment. A doctor will always take these issues seriously and will document any signs of abuse they spot.

Talking to a lawyer about filing a lawsuit may avail you of the opportunity to win compensation form the agency responsible for the negligence. The lawyer will have to sit down with you to make sure that you have a case that's worth pressing and that you stand a chance of winning. They cannot predict whether you will win, of course, but they can advise you on your options as far as getting started with a legal action for negligence against the provider.