Nursing Home Abuse

Signs Of Nursing Abuse

By carefully selecting a nursing home you can be reasonably sure that nursing home abuse won't happen.  However, always read the resident’s bill of rights given to you by the nursing home, and give your input on the care plan, then you can be fairly sure that your loved one will receive good if not excellent care.

If the nursing home staff follows their bill of rights, you can rest assured that your elderly relative will enjoy a comfortable life at the nursing home that includes but is not limited to:

This is not an exhaustive list. As mentioned, the nursing home should have provided a residents bill of rights while you were visiting the facilities, and many of these are part of the contracts that are signed during the admissions process.

Despite all the assurances that are in place, most people still worry at the very least about their loved one not receiving top-notch care – and at worse, they worry that their loved one will be neglected and suffer abuse in the nursing home.

Unfortunately in recent times nursing home abuse has been a hot topic in the news. You’ve probably seen many programs featuring stories on residents who’ve been slapped, kicked, or otherwise physically abused at the hands of staff or even other elderly residents. Some stories share the horrors of residents who are neglected and regular victims of theft. Still others have experienced the horrors and degregation of sexual or mental abuse.

By visiting your elderly relative frequently you can help prevent and/or stop  any abuse in the nursing/convalescent home. These visits give you the opportunity not only to observe his or her environment and living conditions, but also the chance to look for the more obvious signs of abuse.

In addition, you will be able to look for red flags that could lead to abuse. For example, under-trained, inexperienced and under paid staff, under staffed shifts, and frequent staff turnovers may lead to neglect and negligence leading to nursing home abuse.

• Nursing Abuse Signs
  
  Some of the main nursing abuse signs to look for: weight loss, pressure sores, signs of malnutrition or dehydration

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