Nursing Home Abuse
Overview
If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect, abuse, and/or negligence, it is absolutely heartbreaking. Besides our children, our elderly relatives are the most vulnerable to abuse. Sometimes our beloved family members are cared for by negligent and incompetent workers. Some surveys and research suggests that nursing home and elder abuse may be as widespread as child abuse. Learn more here. Unlike the U.S., most countries treat their elderly with the highest degree of respect. In the U.S., it can sometimes feel like the opposite. Every citizen seems to value youth and does not consider the wisdom of our elders.
Nursing homes, senior care facilities, and caretakers are not all bad. Unfortunately, some senior care facilities have been found to extort, abuse, and take advantage of our elderly loved ones. Abuse comes in all sorts of forms, from financial to physical to psychological. For a more complete list of elderly abuse and neglect, continuing reading.
Holding The Nurning Home Accountable
Florida protects our elderly residents and has enacted several state statutes. Notably, Florida § 400.023 allows nursing home abuse victims to file a civil lawsuit. The lawsuit provides victims a way to recover compensation after an incident of abuse.
Examples Of Nursing Home Negligence
- Negligent employee hiring
- Inadequate supervision
- Inadequate training
- Understaffing
- Negligent security
Signs Of Nursing Home Abuse
Financial Abuse
Signs of financial abuse: frequent withdrawals from bank accounts, sudden change of beneficiary information for a life insurance policy, lost property, new loans, new accounts, new mortgages, revisions to trusts or wills, power of attorney changes, relationships with significantly younger persons (younger person randomly enters elder’s life), etc. Your elderly relatives may rely on a person to balance their bank statements and credit card transactions. Misappropriation takes place because no one is monitoring your loved one’s accounts or spending habits.
Neglect
Neglect is one of the most common forms of elder abuse. Nevertheless, care takers and elder professionals should take care of our relatives. Neglect occurs when professionals and nursing home workers fail to meet their standard of care.
Signs of Elder Neglect:
- Malnourishment
- Dehydration
- Rashes
- Lesions
- Bedsores
- Bruises
- Physical abuse
**Keep a close eye on your loved one’s living conditions. Monitor if your loved one been bathed daily or received their medication. It’s our moral duty to help protect our elderly relatives. Pay close attention to the health and safety standards in your loved one’s living space. Additionally, if your loved one smells like urine or feces, that is a common sign of neglect.
Other Elder Abuse
- Broken Bones
- Changes in the elder’s will
- Changes in the power of attorney
- Emotional Abuse
- Emotional Withdrawal
- Financial Abuse
- Malnutrition
- Unexplained Diseases and Infections
Physical Abuse
Elder physical abuse is a serious problem. When visiting with your loved one, ask if a elder professional has ever:
- Pushed
- Hit
- Kicked
- Punched
- Shoved
- Burned
- Restrained
- Force-feed
- Denied food
- Denied liquid
- Overmedicated
Psychological Abuse
As your relative gets older, their memory may begin to fade. As a result, more aggressive diseases like alzheimers or dementia may cause your loved one to lose their memory entirely. Predatory nursing home employees may take advantage of elderly residents with poor memory. Nursing home employees abuse elderly residents in different ways. Some psychologically abusive tactics include:
- Bullying
- Verbal Abuse
- Isolation
- Harassment
- Yelling
- Screaming
- Ignoring
- Intimidating
- Degrading
- Manipulating
- Antagonizing
- Assaulting
Sexual Abuse
Recently, elderly sexual abuse has been in the news. Any unwanted or nonconsensual sexual activity forced by a nursing home employee onto an elderly resident is unlawful. Disgustingly, some nursing home employees force themselves onto residents that are nonverbal. It’s important for all of us to stay mindful of who interacts with our loved ones. Sexual abuse can come in many forms and by many assailants. Specifically, visitors, nursing home staff, and other residents are the most common. If you believe your family member has been the victim of sexual abuse, contact a Nursing Home Injury Lawyer in Jacksonville now.
**Abuse is not always physical. Elder abuse can occur through manipulation, physiological torment, or mental abuse. If our loved ones experience physical and mental abuse, it may have adverse effects to our loved one’s health. Elderly decline may occur as a result of elder predators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can file a nursing home lawsuit?
A nursing home lawsuit may be filed by:
- The nursing home resident
- The nursing home resident’s guardian
- A person or organization acting on behalf of the resident with the resident’s express consent
- The personal representative of the deceased resident in cases where the resident died
What is a duty of care?
The person who abused and/or neglected your loved one owed them a duty of care. Simply put, a duty of care is a legal standard to act as a reasonable person would if he/she were similarly situated. In this scenario, did the nursing home staff act protect the resident. Additionally, did the nursing home act in accordance with state and federal law.
News & Resources
Elder Financial Abuse Will Get Worse As Americans Age | Forbes | https://www.forbes.com/sites/teresaghilarducci/2018/09/11/elder-financial-abuse-will-get-worse-as-americans-age/#6f9c0465127c