It’s painful to find out that someone you love has been through the horrors of nursing home abuse. You placed your loved one in a nursing home for his or her safety, and this is a true violation of your trust. To avoid having this kind of issue happen ever again, or to find out if this is happening to your loved one now, look for a few of these signs of abuse.
First, look out for a growing number of hospital visits or infections. While the elderly are more prone to infections, it’s unusual to see someone go from healthy to unhealthy very rapidly without a significant health event, like a stroke or heart attack. Usually, the conditions build up over time. For example, if your mother just moved into the nursing home and suddenly is suffering from urinary tract infections every month, someone may not be helping her go to the bathroom or may not be helping her wash well. It may be in your interest to talk to the nursing home director and staff to identify the issue and take your parent out of the home if neglect is a cause.
Another thing to watch out for is your parent getting weaker. This can be a sign of dehydration and poor nutrition. When you go to the nursing home, large thermoses of water in each patient’s room should be a common sight. This is a normal procedure for many nursing facilities to help patients drink enough during the day. Additionally, each patient should be taken to breakfast, lunch or dinner or receive these meals in their rooms.
Your loved one is important to you, and he or she deserves the best care available. Neglect and abuse are unnecessary and unacceptable in any medical setting.
Source: Next Avenue, “6 Signs of Nursing Home Neglect,” Sarah Blanchard, accessed March 09, 2017
