Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing
home abuse or neglect is sadly one of our nation’s most rapidly growing
problems because a major part of our population is getting older. Of the approximately 1.8 million nursing
home residents, roughly one third of them will reside in nursing home
facilities with reported cases of abuse or neglect. Nursing home abuse can include physical abuse, neglect,
sexual abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, administering wrong medication
or treatment, and even abandonment.
Types of Nursing
Home Abuse
Physical
Nursing
home abuse is often exhibited in cases of physical abuse. Physical abuse in a
nursing home may include the beating, hitting, pushing, slapping, shaking,
kicking, burning, inappropriately restraining, or pinching of any patient in
the nursing home facility. Physical abuse may also occur in a nursing home
through less direct ways of force-feeding or unsuitable drug use.
If you
notice signs of physical abuse with your loved one, please do not hesitate to
make a report with management or notify the proper legal authorities. In addition to visible signs, it is
important to take notice of unexplained injuries, poor treatment by nursing
home staff, over medication, dehydration, malnutrition and all other signs of
physical nursing home abuse.
Neglect
Neglect
can also be another serious form of nursing home abuse. Neglect may be
occurring if you notice recurring infections, poor hygiene, unsanitary living
conditions, lack of medical attention, or signs of dehydration or malnutrition
in a nursing home resident. Again,
if you notice any neglect, please notify the proper staff members and make a
report.
Emotional
Nursing
home abuse is not limited to physical abuse. Unfortunately, nursing home
residents are victims of emotional and psychological abuse as well. Emotional
nursing home abuse can include any form of verbal abuse, humiliation,
intimidation, isolation, harassment or insult by a nursing home facilitator to
a resident.
Important
signs in a patient that may indicate psychological nursing home abuse are
withdrawal, agitation, isolation, rocking, sucking, biting, strange behavior
towards loved ones, and other uncharacteristic displays of aggression, fright
or humiliation. Like physical abuse, emotional abuse can be traumatizing and
should be reported if discovered.
Contact Us
Nursing
home abuse is unacceptable at any level. If you or a loved one has been a
victim of nursing home abuse, my firm will be more than honored to offer a FREE
initial consultation on how we can help.
Please contact our firm to speak to a
qualified nursing home abuse attorney for a free evaluation of your case.
Call or Email GREGG S. HARRISON for a
free initial consultation about any nursing home abuse case.
Tel.
832-797-7600
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