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We place an elderly family member in a nursing home because we value their safety, their needs exceed the family’s ability to provide care, and we want to ensure the protection of their lives, comfort, and human dignity. Sadly, despite their glossy ads, many nursing homes allow the vulnerable elderly residents in their care to experience abuse. Elder abuse in nursing homes includes physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse as well as cases of egregious neglect. There are around five million reported cases of nursing home abuse each year, and experts believe that cases are widely underreported.
Nursing home abuse cases are underreported due to the inability of many nursing home residents to tell family members about the abuse. This may be because of the common physical and cognitive issues related to aging, or due to feelings of shame or embarrassment. Sadly, some signs of abuse are similar to the normal signs of aging, making them easy to miss. The first step to preventing elder abuse in nursing homes is to recognize the signs of abuse such as the following:
If a nursing home resident displays any of these signs and symptoms of nursing home neglect and abuse, a family member should immediately report their concerns to staff administrators and have a medical professional unaffiliated with the facility perform a complete medical evaluation of the resident.
Elderly women face twice the risk of abuse in nursing homes compared to male residents. Residents with cognitive decline or dementia also face increased risk. Some studies show that victims of previous abuse, mistreatment, or past trauma are more likely to become victims in nursing homes and less likely to report the abuse. Other risk factors for abuse in nursing homes include understaffing, frequent employee turnover rates, and inadequate hiring practices and training protocols.
When placing an elderly loved one into a nursing home, it’s critical to determine if the facility’s caregiver-to-resident ratio is adequate. Speak to your local nursing home ombudsman to determine whether or not there have been previous complaints of abuse in the home. Read online reviews of the home and research to find any records of lawsuits or criminal complaints before placing your loved one in the facility. Once a beloved family member is in a nursing home facility, it’s important to make frequent visits to monitor conditions while visiting with the loved one, asking frankly about their quality of care.
By remaining alert to the risk factors and signs of nursing home abuse, family members can minimize the risk to their elderly loved ones.
If your loved one experienced abuse in a nursing home, we are ready to give them a voice for justice through financial accountability. Call the Phoenix nursing home abuse attorneys at Knapp & Roberts today so we can take prompt action on your loved one’s behalf.
The personal injury attorneys in Phoenix, Arizona, at Knapp & Roberts have the compassion and trial lawyer skills to tell your story to a jury. We will get to know you and your family so that we can help the jury understand what has happened to you and your family and how it has changed your lives. Obtain the compensation necessary for the injuries and losses you have suffered.
