Nursing Home Neglect
According to U.S. News there are 696 nursing homes across the state of Florida and only 51 have received a five out of five rating. Families who send their loved ones to nursing homes and long-term care facilities often do extensive research before selecting a location. However, changes can occur with staffing or the company’s finances that turn an excellent nursing home into a place where a loved one is getting abused or neglected on a regular basis, which puts their health and life at risk. A qualified attorney at the office of Mark H. Wright, PLLC can help.
Types of Nursing Neglect
- Physical abuse – This includes beating, pushing, shoving, slapping, kicking, burning, inappropriate use of physical restraints, force-feeding food, and any other use of physical force that will cause pain or bodily injury.
- Sexual abuse – In addition to sex itself, any unwanted sexual contact is considered sexual abuse. This also includes forcing someone to be nude or watch while someone else is nude, or taking sexually explicit photos.
- Emotional or Psychological abuse – Threatening a resident, calling them names, humiliating or harassing them all fall under the category of emotional abuse. These behaviors can cause an elderly person mental anguish and result in them becoming withdrawn, depressed, and worse.
- Financial exploitation – Elderly can be targets of financial exploitation because they have spent their lives earning their wealth, but now may have less capacity to handle their own finances. If a person deceives or coerces a nursing home resident to sign financial documents, cashes checks without their authorization, or otherwise mishandles the resident’s money for their own gain, it is financial exploitation. According to the Investor Protection Trust, it is estimated that 17 percent of elderly adults have been taking advantage of financially.
- Neglect – Nursing home residents rely on caretakers and staff to help them with daily activities such as meals, personal hygiene, cleaning, taking medications, and more. If the nursing home is short on staff or has an employee who simply does not care to do their job, a resident can be left unattended to. This leads to physical problems because the resident may not get adequate food and water, and if they struggle to walk on their own, they could fall and suffer broken bones or other severe injuries. On top of that, being neglected causes emotional distress.
Signs of Nursing Home Neglect
A victim of abuse or neglect may be too embarrassed to speak up about the mistreatment or they may not be of a mental capacity to share what is being done to them. That is why it is important you look for signs and ask questions to learn more about the care they are receiving. Signs of nursing home abuse include:
- Unexplainable bruising or welts;
- Bedsores;
- Malnourishment or dehydration;
- Emotional agitation;
- Withdrawn;
- A disheveled or unclean room;
- A noticeable dip in personal hygiene; and
- More.
Contact Us If You Suspect Abuse
If you suspect your loved one is not receiving the proper care and attention in their nursing home, it is important that you speak to a qualified attorney at the office of Mark H. Wright, PLLC. We can help you determine what is going on when you are not visiting and overseeing your loved one’s care personally. Contact our firm today at 813-425-2020 to schedule your free consultation.
