How to Respond to Nursing Home Abuse
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, then you trust that nursing home to provide compassionate and competent care. However, abuse in nursing homes is a widespread issue in New Mexico. Your loved one may be at risk of financial, emotional, sexual, or physical abuse.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
There are, unfortunately, countless ways residents of nursing homes can be abused by the nursing staff and other residents, including:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
- Healthcare abuse and fraud
- Negligence
- Abandonment
Nursing home residents are unable to care for themselves, and many of them are also unable to respond to communication or are too ashamed to report violations. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the children, grandchildren, and loved ones of those in nursing homes to visit them routinely and check on them to ensure they are being treated properly.
Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
While some cases of abuse can be challenging to detect, there are signs. The important thing is to pay attention to worsening conditions, whether physical or emotional. Residents with dementia or degenerative conditions are unable to report what is occurring. If you see bruising, bedsores, sudden illnesses, or a worsening in their general emotional state, your loved one may be a victim of nursing home abuse.
Some of the more common signs of physical and sexual abuse include:
- Bedsores or open wounds
- Dirty or soiled bedding
- Unexplained broken bones or sprains
- Restraint marks on the wrists
- Bruising around breasts or genitals
- Genital bleeding unrelated to an existing medical condition
The signs of emotional or financial abuse can be harder to detect, but can include:
- Sudden changes in emotion, including increased shyness, being unable make eye contact, depression, and other similar conditions
- Missing cash or belongings
- Unexplained withdrawals from accounts
- Lack of appropriate medical care
- Over-medication
- Lack of staff to provide support
- Duplicate bills
Neglect may be an issue if you observe the following:
- Leaving an elderly person unsupervised in a public area
- Resident without appropriate clothing
- Lack of proper hygiene
- Unusual weight loss
- Dry skin, dehydration
What to Do About Nursing Home Abuse
If your loved one is suffering a serious health problem, call 911 for immediate medical assistance. Doing so will also bring the police who can witness the state and any circumstances that led to the emergency.
If it’s not an emergency, speak to the nursing home staff and communicate your concerns. If that doesn’t resolve it, there are two essential resources available to help you:
Both programs have staff on state and regional levels that can assist with your investigation and the filing of formal complaints to get the situation remedied. If immediate remedial action doesn’t happen, it may be time to move to a different nursing home you can trust – the most important point is to keep your loved one safe from harm. Once the emergency is over or if you run into any stops or barriers, your next step may be to call a New Mexico nursing home attorney to protect the rights of your loved one and seek full compensation for damages
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, then you trust that nursing home to provide compassionate and competent care. However, abuse in nursing homes is a widespread issue in New Mexico. Your loved one may be at risk of financial, emotional, sexual, or physical abuse.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
There are, unfortunately, countless ways residents of nursing homes can be abused by the nursing staff and other residents, including:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
- Healthcare abuse and fraud
- Negligence
- Abandonment
Nursing home residents are unable to care for themselves, and many of them are also unable to respond to communication or are too ashamed to report violations. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the children, grandchildren, and loved ones of those in nursing homes to visit them routinely and check on them to ensure they are being treated properly.
Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
While some cases of abuse can be challenging to detect, there are signs. The important thing is to pay attention to worsening conditions, whether physical or emotional. Residents with dementia or degenerative conditions are unable to report what is occurring. If you see bruising, bedsores, sudden illnesses, or a worsening in their general emotional state, your loved one may be a victim of nursing home abuse.
Some of the more common signs of physical and sexual abuse include:
- Bedsores or open wounds
- Dirty or soiled bedding
- Unexplained broken bones or sprains
- Restraint marks on the wrists
- Bruising around breasts or genitals
- Genital bleeding unrelated to an existing medical condition
The signs of emotional or financial abuse can be harder to detect, but can include:
- Sudden changes in emotion, including increased shyness, being unable make eye contact, depression, and other similar conditions
- Missing cash or belongings
- Unexplained withdrawals from accounts
- Lack of appropriate medical care
- Over-medication
- Lack of staff to provide support
- Duplicate bills
Neglect may be an issue if you observe the following:
- Leaving an elderly person unsupervised in a public area
- Resident without appropriate clothing
- Lack of proper hygiene
- Unusual weight loss
- Dry skin, dehydration
What to Do About Nursing Home Abuse
If your loved one is suffering a serious health problem, call 911 for immediate medical assistance. Doing so will also bring the police who can witness the state and any circumstances that led to the emergency.
If it’s not an emergency, speak to the nursing home staff and communicate your concerns. If that doesn’t resolve it, there are two essential resources available to help you:
Both programs have staff on state and regional levels that can assist with your investigation and the filing of formal complaints to get the situation remedied. If immediate remedial action doesn’t happen, it may be time to move to a different nursing home you can trust – the most important point is to keep your loved one safe from harm. Once the emergency is over or if you run into any stops or barriers, your next step may be to call a nursing home attorney to protect the rights of your loved one and seek full compensation for damages.