How Do I Know if Nursing Home Staff are Abusing my Parent or Relative?

A nursing home or assisted living facility is responsible for the care of elderly or special needs residents, providing food, shelter, necessary medical care, and personal assistance. In order to offer these services, the owner or operator of the facility must hire the right staff, who have the training and experience to provide the needed care. These managers also must ensure that staff members do not have criminal records or any type of history of violence. If they are negligent in fulfilling this duty then it is the vulnerable nursing home resident who often suffers.

If you suspect that your loved one is being abused in a nursing home, there are some questions to ask and observations that you can make in order to know whether you need to act right away.

What types of abuse are there?

Physical abuse – This may be the result of improper restraint used as a means of controlling residents or any other type of force used to injure or threaten patients. This often leaves visible signs, including bruising and broken bones;
Sexual Abuse – This occurs more often than people realize, when nursing home or assisted living facility staff force sexual activity on residents, many of whom do not have the mental capacity or verbal skills to report the assault;
Psychological abuse – Nursing home residents and patients of other types of facilities are vulnerable to emotional manipulation, including the use of threats, intentionally confusing directions, mind games, and criticism;
Financial abuse – Many times, nursing home staff members are responsible for completing purchases for residents who are unable to manage their own finances. These individuals may pocket the money instead of buying necessary items or take over control of a person’s assets completely; and
Neglect – This is the most common form of negligent behavior, where patients may not be cared for as needed, including missed administration of medication, failure to reposition or turn patients, improper or inadequate feeding, and a lack of attention to cleanliness and hygiene.
What should I look for to determine if there is negligence or abuse?

There are many signs, including:

Bed sores;
Bruises;
Fractures;
Cuts and scrapes;
Malnutrition;
Dirty clothes or linens;
Unexplained illness or infection; or
Weight loss.
These are just a few of the many indicators that something is wrong with the care of a loved one. You should pay attention to sudden changes in behavior and fearfulness towards one or more staff members. This is one of those times where you should trust your instincts.

What other types of behavioral changes indicate possible neglect or abuse?

Abrupt changes in mood;

New complaints about treatment by the staff or a marked increase in the number and type of complaints;
Difficulty sleeping;
Extreme emotions, including anger, sadness, or affection;
Depression; and
Lapsing into an uncommunicative state.
Are there signs for which I should watch in the staff?

It is difficult to know what is going on behind closed doors or when you are not there, but you should pay attention to the general demeanors of staff towards the residents and other staff members. Does a person express anger or extreme frustration with little or no provocation? Does a staff member rely on restraints to deal with a difficult resident? Does someone ignore reasonable requests or try to force a resident to do something that he or she clearly does not want to do? All of these are red flags that there can be a much bigger problem.

The decision to place a parent, grandparent, or other loved one in a nursing home or similar facility is one that is made after much soul-searching. When you discover that someone has neglected or abused your loved one, the devastation, and even misplaced guilt, is tremendous. Our compassionate and experienced Tennessee nursing home negligence attorneys at Greer Injury Lawyers understand what you are feeling and will do everything in our power to get justice for you and your loved one. Please call us at 888-470-9143 so that we can sit down and help you find the best possible legal solution. At Greer Injury Lawyers, PLLC we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.