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The statistics for nursing home abuse are shocking:
In one study, as reported by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), 44 percent of the 2,000 nursing home residents interviewed in the study revealed that they were abused. What’s more, 95 percent of them reported that they either had been neglected themselves, or had seen a fellow resident neglected.
ABC News reports that between January 1999 and January 2001, there were 5,238 nursing facilities cited for nearly 9,000 instances of abuse – 1,601 of which were severe enough to put the health and even lives of patients at risk. Among the commonly cited instances were bedsores, dehydration, malnutrition, inadequate hygiene and sanitation, and insufficient medical care.
In the abstract, these numbers are bad enough. When your loved one is among the millions of residents living in licensed nursing homes or residential care centers across the country, it brings a new dimension to the problem of nursing home abuse in the U.S.
Abuse in Nursing Homes
Elder abuse is a big problem in the U.S. While it isn’t specifically limited to nursing home and residential care facilities, these organizations attract attention for abuse and neglect of patients.
The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home or long-term care facility is one of the toughest families will make. Finding out that abuse has occurred by the hands of the very people you’ve turned to for help in caring for your loved one is a betrayal that cuts deep.
Unfortunately, abuse does happen in these facilities despite laws designed to protect the people who call nursing homes and residential care facilities home. That’s why legal action, from a qualified and experienced Phoenix nursing home abuse attorney is often the most expedient avenue to make changes happen for the sake of your loved one and for so many others who live in these facilities.
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Physical Abuse
This is the most commonly thought of abuse against elderly patients. It can take many forms, including sexual abuse. Physical abuse is most often discovered due to unexplained broken bones, bruises, cuts, torn or ripped clothing, or bloody undergarments. -
Emotional Abuse
Many people who move into nursing homes and long-term care facilities are in a fragile mental state as it is. Then to be met with abusive language, intimidation, humiliation, taunting, mocking, being ignored, and sometimes even being isolated from others only compounds the situation. While emotional abuse may not be immediately life threatening, it can lead to depression and thoughts of suicide in many nursing home residents. Regardless, the person you love deserves better than that from the people who are charged with his or her care. -
Financial Abuse
This happens surprisingly more than ever gets caught. Any of these acts by caregivers are acts of financial abuse.- Forging signatures
- Identity theft
- Stealing belongings
- Emptying savings and checking accounts
- Running up huge charges on credit cards
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Neglect
Neglect is another problem in nursing homes. More often than not, it’s a systemic problem of either too few care providers or a poor rotation of care for the patients involved. Neglect is not always an intentional act of abuse, but that doesn’t change the damage it leaves behind in people who need medical care and supervision.
Decoding the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
Understanding the signs of nursing home abuse helps you determine when you need to seek the services of a Phoenix nursing home abuse lawyer. These are a few signs that indicate it may be time to consider taking action.
- Bruises around the wrists and/or ankles that look as though they could be from restraints
- Unexplained bruising elsewhere on the body
- Broken bones
- Bed sores
- Clothing that is ripped and/or bloody
- Signs of depression and/or withdrawal by the patient
- Cowering by the patient
- Soiled linens
- Unsanitary conditions
- Malnourishment and/or dehydration
- Unexplained worsening of condition (and other signs medications aren’t being properly administered)
- Missing money and/or possessions
Regardless of its form, though, nursing home abuse is a heart-wrenching and unthinkable behavior.
Seek an Experienced Friedl Richardson Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
While financial retribution won’t dismiss the nursing home abuse, if you or someone you care about have been victimized in a nursing home, you may not only have a valid claim that will compensate you, but help you take steps to prevent it from occurring to others.
This is one time when you need experience on your side. We have the expertise and knowledge to handle your Phoenix nursing home abuse case with the care and discretion it deserves. Contact us today at 602-553-2220 or fill out a request for a free consultation and see how we can help you get justice for your loved one.
Read our Medical Malpractice blog for additional information.
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