When you entrust a loved one to a nursing home, you are expecting a standard of quality that will bring comfort and peace of mind to everyone included. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When nursing home abuse occurs, it affects you, your whole family, and most of all, your loved one. Always be on the lookout for signs of nursing home abuse and immediately report any suspicious activity. Out of the top five signs of nursing home abuse, four involve your loved one and how they may suffer, and the fifth details the facility itself. The top five signs are physical injuries, withdrawn behavior, bedsores or other rashes, change in weight or habits, and suspicions about the facility. Before entrusting your loved one to the care of a nursing home, do your homework first and research reputation and feedback on all considered facilities. This does not by any means place blame on you or your family if nursing home abuse occurs; it happens due to secretive corruption and awful people working within that corruption. Watching for the signs helps you to be proactive in the safety of your loved ones.1.) Physical InjuriesWhen people age, they become weaker and frail. While a fall may injure a hip or cause bad bruising, some suspicious injuries can be confirmed as signs of abuse. These physical injuries include severe bruising or more bruising than normal; suspicious broken bones or swelling; or even bedsores or rashes, explained with further detail in a forthcoming section. When abuse occurs, many symptoms arise because of it; usually these symptoms or signs are evidence to those around the victim more so than to the victim themselves.If you see physical injuries on your loved one, and they cannot respond to how it occurred, as if they suddenly become nervous or quiet or otherwise unusual, then you may be witnessing the outcome of suspicious abuse. Follow up with your loved one's institution and get a feel of the environment. Be on the lookout for suspicious activity. Bruising occurs in many different ways; however, there is a difference between a bruise from a bump into a wall and a bruise that resulted from a strike. The bruising will be a more severe color, or shaped differently than the known story given. In obvious cases, the bruise would be shaped like a hand; in less obvious cases, the bruise could be said it came from a wall when in reality it was from an unusual object. These types of deductions can be made in regards to almost every injury; make sure the injury matches the given reason with full faith.2.) Withdrawn BehaviorWhen any individual is abused, more often than not, the victim will internalize the abuse. An abused individual who was once talkative and energetic is now withdrawn or quiet. Sometimes, this behavior changes from quiet to quieter. In regards to personality, age itself does not affect behavior. Age does not make an individual suddenly grow quiet; life experiences do that. The victim of abuse, at any age, will suffer the emotional trauma of abuse, leading to a change in behavior.Withdrawn behavior occurs because the individual being abused does not want to talk about the incident or environment. Sometimes they do not want to cause trouble; other times they think it is their fault. Sometimes it is for another reason entirely. No matter what the reason, an individual will become more withdrawn when abused.3.) Change in Weight or HabitsA change in weight or habits usually occurs along with the behavior in abused individuals. A change in weight may occur as a coping mechanism; an abused individual may eat to deal with the stress, or they may eat less depending on their own dealings. This is very similar behavior to individuals suffering from depression, as abuse may lead to depression. A change of habits may occur as well; an individual may take to biting their thumb, chewing their fingernails, pulling their hair, or looking down at the ground more often than they used to. If anything changes from the usual behavior or weight that was not present since your loved one entered the nursing home, that may be reason to suspect that your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse.4.) Bedsores or RashesIn the event that you visit your loved one and you find bedsores or unexplained rashes, you have reason to suspect nursing home abuse. Rashes are evidence of lack of cleanliness or unhygienic practices; bedsores arise from an individual staying in a dirty or unclean bed for too long. Both of these incidents point to the deduction that your loved one may not be receiving the care and attention they need and deserve. If this is the case, then your loved one may be suffering from nursing home negligence, which falls under the category of nursing home abuse.5.) Suspicious FacilitiesThe most important thing to remember when researching a facility is to review what others have said about it and their reputation. This can be found online, or you can ask around to hear about other's personal experienced with the institution in question if they so wish to talk about it. If specific activities occur that make you feel uneasy or suspicious, report it to respective authorities to rectify the situation. Examples of suspicious facility activity are financial fraud, incorrect medication, inadequate care, crowding, poorly trained staff, and inadequate responses to questions. Financial fraud may be evident if you notice multiple charges on your bill or the bill of your loved one for a single treatment, device, or experience that was already paid for. Monitor the medication given to your loved one, to ensure it matches the correct dosage. Your loved one may become injured if they take the incorrect medicinal amount. Inadequate care may include many different scenarios, but be sure that your loved one is getting the attention and quality standard of care they deserve. Ask the institution or the staff themselves of the extent of their education and training. Ask them what they are trained to do in specific situations. If they are not properly trained, it may lead to harm to many in the future. If the facilities are crowded, your loved one may not be receiving the standard of attention they need. If any of your questions or those of your loved ones are ignored, avoided, or not clearly answered, these may be signs of nursing home negligence.No individual should ever endure nursing home abuse. A nursing home should make both you and your loved one, as well as your family, feel safe within its walls. Health care is vital for any living human, and if the quality of care within a nursing home does not equate to the official standard of care, then an authority must be contacted. If you suspect nursing home abuse, take pictures of any bruises with consent of your loved one, or record a consented interview detailing your loved one's feelings about the situation. Be aware that abuse is not always physical; verbal and emotional abuse may occur. With basic evidence, consult a personal injury attorney along with the authorities to determine your next action. Safety for your family and loved ones is paramount; every suspicion is worth investigating. An investigation can only make the entire living situation better in the long run, and you and your loved one deserve that peace of mind.
