As family members and loved ones get older, caring for them can become more difficult. You want them to be able to stay at home or under your care, but this isn’t possible for many to manage and can become a safety risk. When this happens, it’s usually in the person’s best interest to put them in a nursing home. You expected your loved ones to be cared for and have their needs met by professionals in a nursing home. Unfortunately, senior citizens in nursing are sometimes the targets of abuse by those meant to ensure their health, safety, and comfort.
If you have a loved one who has suffered from abuse in a nursing home, you need a lawyer who can help get justice for them. When you need a nursing home abuse lawyer in Carbondale, PA, contact The Moran Law Group for help.
Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you may not see them very often. This can make it easy for nursing home abuse to go unnoticed and harder for those suffering from abuse to get the help they need. While you may not be there to watch over your loved one, you may notice some changes that can be concerning. It can be difficult to tell when someone is being abused or neglected, but it’s important to always be on the lookout for signs that can be telling.
Here are a few common signs of nursing home abuse.
Bruises, Injuries, and Infections
Seeing bruises, lacerations, and injuries may be some of the most obvious signs of abuse and might make you ask questions. While everyone gets bruises and injuries, and these can occur more easily for seniors in poor health, they can sometimes mean abuse is occurring. If a loved one suffers from an unusual amount of bruises and injuries, you should look into getting help. A concerning amount of illness and infections can also be a sign seniors aren’t getting proper care, and centers aren’t as hygienic as they should be.
You might also see bedsores on an elderly loved one if they aren’t properly cared for in the nursing home. Seniors with limited mobility who can’t move on their own can develop bedsores from being in one position for too long, such as being left in their bed with no one to help them move. Bedsores can be a sign of abuse or neglect as it can mean seniors aren’t being tended to by caretakers.
Weight Changes
Seniors in nursing homes depend on their caretakers to ensure their basic needs, including eating and drinking, are met. If they aren’t receiving a proper amount of food and liquids, they may begin to lose weight. You may notice your loved one start to lose weight over time as you visit them. This can sometimes happen naturally, but if you see them begin to lose a concerning amount of weight and look unwell, you need to see if they’re being fed.
Emotional Change
People suffering from abuse often exhibit changes in their mood and behavior. However, this might be difficult to pick up on, especially if you don’t see the person regularly. Some may think their loved one is simply having a bad day and ignore the signs. However, you should always pay attention to changes in your loved one’s moods and emotions when they’re in a nursing home, especially if it continues. Your loved one may become anxious, withdrawn, or have other behaviors that aren’t normal for them.
Strange Financial Changes
Often we think of abuse as being physical, sexual, or emotional, but financial abuse also occurs, especially in older adults. Someone may financially abuse a nursing home resident to get their money. If you can, keep an eye on their bank accounts so that you can monitor any suspicious changes and transactions.
Don’t Wait to Get Help
If you suspect that nursing home abuse is occurring, you don’t want to wait to get help from a lawyer. Your loved one should not be subjected to abuse or neglect, especially by those expected to care for them, and these actions need to be stopped immediately. At The Moran Law Group, we can help if you suspect that your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home. Our team can help put a stop to abuse and help your loved one receive compensation for what they’ve experienced.
Contact a personal injury lawyer in Carbondale, PA, experienced in nursing home abuse cases today to get help.