Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse is something that none of us like to hear about, particularly if we have parents or grandparents who are in a long term care facility.  In the past, two or three generations of a family would live under the same roof and trust care was available for the elderly.  Obviously, the occurrence of elder abuse was nowhere near the level that it is today.  Nowadays, most families simply do not have the room or the financial resources to care for their aging loved ones.

Nursing Home Abuse Does Not Discriminate

Nursing home abuse occurs in all types of facilities and is not restricted to those for the poor or those that accept Medicaid and Medicare patients. Nursing home abuse has been reported as  occurring at some of the most affluent facilities in the country.

There are many online sites that you can visit that can alert you to the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect. According to the Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Resource Center, abuse can include emotional, physical, and verbal abuse.  There could be warning signs signifying that abuse is imminent.

Aggressive Nursing Home Abuse

Physical abuse can include chemical or physical restraints which may not be warranted. Chemical restraints are generally used when a patient is non-compliant or is demonstrating or threatening to harm himself or others.  A chemical restraint should be used judiciously, and only under the circumstances described above.  If chemical restraints are used simply to keep a patient quiet so that he is not a "nuisance," then there may be an instance of nursing home abuse.  If required medications are not being administered, or if they are given excessively, nursing home abuse may be taking place.

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Other forms of nursing home abuse can include physical or sexual abuse, failure by staff to hydrate or offer nutrition, visible wounds, cuts, bruises, welts, or any other unexplained injuries, or reports by the resident of hitting, slapping, pushing, shoving, or by ignoring repeated legitimate requests.

Passive Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse might also occur in the more passive form of neglect.  Neglect includes failure to keep the patient safe from harm, not taking measures necessary to prevent infection or decubitus ulcers (bed sores), subjecting client to unclean or unsanitary conditions, allowing the client to soil himself with urine or feces, or not providing necessary and adequate medical care to patient. Patients are also considered to be neglected if they are not provided with the necessities of daily living, which can include social interaction, compassion, or assistance with any other necessary need.

Conclusion

If you have a loved one who you are considering placing in any long term care facility, be sure to check out the facility's credentials before placing your loved one in its care.  Take a general look around. If the residents don’t seem too happy, they are probably not being cared for properly. The same goes for if you have a relative who is already in a facility.  One of the key things is to visit your relative periodically instead of ignoring him or her.  If nursing home abuse is taking place, the only way you are going to know about it is if you check on your relative.

"Signs of Nursing Home Abuse" contributed by Carol Jamison