When individuals send their loved ones to a nursing home, they are entrusting the care of their family member or close friend to the nursing home staff. Elderly residents are supposed to be safe and cared for in a nursing home. Sadly, this is not always the case and nursing home abuse and negligence is prevalent in many nursing homes.
Throughout the United States, around 1/3 of nursing homes have been cited for some sort of abuse violation. With a loved one living in a nursing home, you need to pay attention to the care they are getting and look for signs of mistreatment or abuse.
If you suspect that your loved one is not receiving the care and treatment that they need and deserve, contact a Hartford injury lawyer from Carlson & Dumeer, LLC. We can help you hold the nursing home responsible for their negligence or abuse.
Some of the obvious signs that you should keep a look out for include:
Abuse is not always physical like many people visualize. Abuse can definitely be physical, but also sexual, financial, or verbal. Some acts of abuse are obvious while others can be kept hidden for long periods of time, such as neglect or financial abuse.
Every type of abuse or neglect can have different signs to look out for. One tip for holding the nursing home accountable is to visit on different days and at different times without notice. This allows you to see different staff and also does not allow them to foresee your arrival.
If physical abuse is taking place, you can generally see a change in the elderly person. Signs of sexual abuse may be less noticeable, however, verbal abuse commonly changes the personality of the elderly person. Keep a look out for signs of depression or anger. Also, if they start blaming themselves for things or seem to be in fear of certain people, that could be a sign.
The less obvious signs to try to look for include:
If your elderly loved one mentions an act of abuse or neglect or you notice signs of abuse, get your story outlined, take pictures, and obtain medical records and even statements from other residents. Once you and your Hartford personal injury attorney have the facts together, contact law enforcement and file a complaint to the state department.
Contact Carlson & Dumeer, LLC today at (877) 795-5594 and schedule your free case evaluation with a Hartford personal injury lawyer.