Nursing Home Negligence | Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

How to Get a Nursing Home Resident to Speak Up on Nursing Home Abuse

The National Center on Elder Abuse states that between one and two million seniors are abused in a nursing home every year.

The first thing to consider in this type of case is the mental and physical condition of the senior who is possibly being abused. If the parent is still rational and understands that she is being abused, then you will have to take a more direct and logical approach to nursing home abuse.

Two Web sites have published tips on what to do if a person becomes the victim of abuse, from a male and female perspective. These are general tips on abusive relationships but can also help in nursing home abuse.

Woman Abuse Prevention Tips

• Assure her that you believe her story.

• Listen and let her talk about her feelings.

• Physical safety is the first priority. If you believe she is in danger, tell her. Help her plan an emergency (but legal) exit.

• Give clear messages saying that violence is never okay or justifiable nor does she cause the abuse. Apologies and promises will not end the violence.

MedicineNet also provides a couple of tidbits for “abused men” that also correspond to nursing home abuse cases and the injury to elderly men.

• Document everything (even if it’s a minor “explainable” injury).

• Get counseling for the abused person and get legal advice.

E-How also offers one great piece of advice for concerned family members: “Be present: The best way to make sure that your love ones are safe is, to visit often.”

If there is no confession on abuse you should ask the senior where how he got specific injuries on his body. If the story is far-fetched then it may be apparent that she is hiding something about daycare abuse. When a resident speaks up about abuse he is calling out for help. Have a game plan of how and when to remove the senior from the dangerous nursing home.

You might also ask the senior where and how he got specific injuries on his body. If the story is far-fetched, then he may be hiding something about daycare abuse. When a resident speaks up about abuse he is calling out for help. Have a game plan of how and when to remove the senior from the dangerous nursing home.

In some situations you will have to take control of the situation. If the aging relative is refusing to cooperate or if the senior is suffering from dementia, then she may not fully understand what is happening and so it’s important that you take action. You can certainly try to appeal to the senior’s emotions and try to help the resident speak up about abuse. For example, some seniors will admit to having negative or scared feelings towards staff members even if they have lost their concept of time. If this does not work however, you may have to confront the nursing home staff yourself as AARP.org suggests. If you see signs of minor abuse instances, then make a complaint about the staff member in question to a supervisor and share your concerns about retaliation from that staff member.

If the nursing home is unwilling to help, or if your parent is showing any signs of severe nursing home abuse, then it’s time to remove the parent from the danger zone and seek legal counsel. If you have evidence of your parent suffering nursing home abuse then it’s likely that you have a lawsuit on your hands. Contact the Rasansky Law Firm at 1-877-405-4313 and tell your story.

THE RASANSKY LAW FIRM
2525 McKinnon Street
Dallas, Texas 75201
CALL US AT 877-331-4156