Having a loved one in a nursing home can be a stressful situation, especially if you’re concerned about the possibility of nursing home abuse. Many different types of injuries can happen in a nursing home, but telling the difference between abuse and accidents can sometimes be difficult.
If you’re unsure about when to seek out nursing home abuse attorneys, here’s a short list of physical and emotional signs that you need to be on the lookout for when you visit your loved one.
Physical Signs of Abuse
- Injuries when a patient is bed-bound
- Malnutrition
- Head trauma
- Severe infections
- Bedsores that have been allowed to reach later stages
- Injuries at different stages of healing
Any of these physical signs should serve as a red flag and a warning signal to call an elder abuse attorney. A medical negligence attorney may also need to be called for untreated injuries.
Emotional Signs of Abuse
- Social withdrawal in outgoing residents
- Frequent signs of agitation
- Reluctance to speak when staff members are near
- Sudden desires for isolation from other patients or staff members
- Unwarranted fear of others touching them
Elder abuse has more effects than just the physical ones. Emotional distress can be a sign of even worse abuse at the hands of the people who are supposed to be taking care of your loved one. Emotional abuse is just as prevalent as physical abuse, but the signs can often be masked or even missed if you’re not looking for them. If anything at all seems off about your loved one, don’t hesitate to confront the staff members or seek out nursing home abuse attorneys.
Other Signs to Look for
There are always other signs to be on the lookout for. If your loved one is fine but you notice that the nursing home they’re staying at has a high rate of broken bones and other incidents of physical trauma, it should set off warning signals.
If you have any reason to believe your loved one is suffering at the hands of the people who are supposed to be caring for them, it’s imperative that you seek out help from nursing home abuse attorneys.