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For example, the CDC recommends checking in with older people especially if other family members or loved ones may not live close by. Reporting the abuse to Adult Protective Services can help the victim come forward and pursue legal compensation. Dont hesitate to call 911 if a nursing home resident is in immediate danger. If you believe that you or a loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, you need to act quickly. Nursing homes often hide information to shield themselves from liability, and the sooner you act the better.
Take note of how staff members react when a fellow staff member loses his or her cool temporarily. This will let you know how commonplace potential verbal or physical abuse may be in the nursing home. When personal hygiene is not a top priority for staff members, the chances of physical health issues, such as bedsores, increase. Residents with tendencies towards physical aggressiveness are at higher risk of abuse. Regardless of the cause, many staff members view combative residents’ behaviors as intentional attempts to be difficult. That makes it more likely for such residents to be abused or mistreated.
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If you see warnings of sexual abuse, it’s important to have the elderly person examined immediately and try to determine who is performing the abuse. A common type of abuse experienced by the elderly is taking money or property without their knowledge, understanding, or consent. This may include directly stealing their assets, such as money or property, or creating a scheme designed to take their money that they don’t understand. Finally, some elderly people have dementia, which may lead to aggressive behavior.
Residents may suffer from malnutrition, dehydration, or severe weight loss as a result. Note that if a report of neglecting an older adult is made to the police, a prosecutor could later charge the person accused of neglect with a crime. You recently noticed some bruises on the family member, and she seems dehydrated.
Elder Abandonment
Visitors should be wary if they are not allowed in to see a resident, and if the patient exhibits sharp changes in attitude and interactions with others. When abuse to an elderly person brings about a medical malpractice lawsuit or any other type of claim, contact us immediately. In elder abuse situations, it looks like bed sores, incorrectly administered medication, and even malnutrition/weight loss.
Nursing home abuse can take many forms, with neglect and physical abuse serving as just a few examples. Most commonly, sexual abuse occurs between residents, particularly when dementia is involved. The abused person may give in and do things they don’t want to do, as they’re continually broken down and insulted by the abuser. Many verbal or emotional abusers become sexual or physical abusers over time. As the Baby Boomer generation gets older with each passing year, nursing homes and adult care facilities are being flooded with elderly citizens in need of constant medical and professional supervision. But as numbers swell, residents may not receive the same level of attention they once did.
Who Is Most Likely To Be Abused in a Nursing Home?
Unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate sexual communications, and showing residents sexually-explicit images or videos are forms of sexual abuse as well. Emotional abuse and neglect can also include depriving a nursing home resident of his or her dignity. One common example is a nursing home staff member leaving the resident in soiled clothing for extended periods of time. Another example is refusing to let the resident make basic decisions that he or she is capable of making for themself. Additionally, when deciding on the best care facility for your elderly loved one, consider choosing a nursing home that properly vets its staff members. Nursing home staff should communicate transparently with residents and their family members about boundaries, services and medications.
Neglect is a type of abuse that occurs when a caregiver fails to give adequate care. The possibility of unnoticed physical harm exists for seniors who live in remote areas or do not have family nearby. Elderly residents enduring physical pain stemming from the abuse may withdraw from others, making it harder to notice potential abuse. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, people with mental or physical limitations are more likely to be the victim of physical harm.
We can listen to your concerns and assist you with documentation to ensure the elderly person in your life receives the care that they deserve. Physical abuse includes using violence or force against an elderly person in an effort to cause injury or harm. It may take several different forms, including physical violence, threats of violence, or inappropriate physical restraints. With the prevalence of sexual nursing home abuse, it’s obvious that steps need to be taken to curtail it.
All elderly people deserve a safe and sanitary place to live, and they also deserve to have the appropriate food to eat and clean clothes to wear. A caretaker or relative who is responsible for the care of the elderly person, but who refuses to provide these basic needs can be charged with abuse. Nursing homes can be guilty of this if they charge high fees but offer services that are below the minimum expected. Financial exploitation is probably the most common form of nursing home abuse. Elderly residents are especially vulnerable to fraud because they are so reliant on their caregivers. Although not as evident as physical mistreatment, emotional abuse is just as harmful and damaging to the elderly resident, as it can affect their well-being and even lead to physical illness.
If they don’t, any sexual advance should be considered sexual abuse, and any “unprofessional touch” should be considered non-consensual sexual contact. Of all nursing home abuses, financial abuse is the hardest to detect due to its complex nature. Fortunately, financial abuse involves a lengthy process, making it easier for a keen observer to identify. General neglect is the refusal to provide a nursing care patient with basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, medication, and personal safety measures. Abuse in nursing homes refers to nursing home staff causing intentional or unintentional harm to their patients.
In a recent case, a female nursing home resident complained that a male staff member tried to sexually assault her before she screamed and he fled. Sadly, sexual elder abuse is often committed against residents who are disabled or unable to give consent. For example, a woman developed severe bedsores and was left to lie in her own feces due to neglect.
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