Elder Law Lawyer

Nursing home abuse is a serious concern that is more commonplace than people realize. In fact, many nursing home caregivers admit to having mistreated an elderly resident at some point in their career. There are several contributing factors for why this could be happening, such as burnout, fatigue, lack of training, staff shortages, and more. But ultimately, there is no excuse for mistreating an elderly person. They deserve to live in peace and live out the remaining years without being physically, mentally, or financially exploited. Anyone who suspects that their senior relative could be the victim of abuse in a nursing home is advised to speak with the lawyer as soon as possible.

All in all, regardless of staff shortages, burnout, or other excuses, every person deserves to be treated with respect and not be abused. There is no situation in which mistreatment is okay, and no one should make excuses for those who have perpetrated the abuse. So if you think that a caregiver or other person at the nursing home facility is not treating your relative as they should be, bring this to the attention of your lawyer and make a report of the incident.

Sometimes we can sense something is not right even before there are signs that tell us so. Always follow your gut and if you are not sure if abuse is actually happening, your elder law lawyer can investigate to find out. It’s important to not assume abuse is occurring if you aren’t sure, but it’s equally imperative that you do not delay in doing something about it. Here are telling signs that mistreatment is what your senior relative could be enduring at this very moment: 

• Exhibiting changes in personality
• Depression and anxiety
• Emotional outbursts
• Refusing to eat or take medication
• Refusing to be in the same room with a caregiver
• Avoiding interactions with other residents
• Not wanting visitations from family and friends
• Withdrawing from phone conversations or communication
• Visible bruising, wounds, welts, scars, bed sores, etc.
• Odd financial transactions or transfer of money
• Unexplained medical conditions or injuries
• STDs, vaginal or anal bleeding, bruises around breasts
• Overuse of sedative medication to calm resident

Remember to always put your loved one first. At the end of the day, it is their life and they do not deserve to be mistreated in any kind of way. If you notice something is not right in how your senior relative is being taken care of in a nursing home, swift action should be taken and investigation must be performed. It’s normal to not be sure whether what you are seeing is in fact abuse, and this is where insight from a legal team, such as Carpenter & Lewis PLLC, can be helpful. Your lawyer can listen to what you have observed, ask questions, investigate, and let you know if further action needs to be taken. If abuse is occuring, your loved one will need to be removed from the facility and placed somewhere safe. They deserve to be free of abuse.