Attorneys Serving St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois
Nursing home abuse or negligence is a terrible crime that is becoming more and more popular as our nursing homes become crowded and their staff becomes overworked. Nursing home abuse can take many different forms, and include emotional abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.
Thousands of families in the United States turn to nursing homes for help taking care of their loved ones when their needs outgrow what the family can provide. When nursing home abuse occurs, it can have a devastating effect on your loved one’s life, as well as the rest of your family.
With the rise of nursing home abuse, a bill of rights for nursing home residents has been created to better help them stop the terrible effects of nursing home abuse. Unfortunately, the nursing home bill of rights does not prevent people from abusing nursing home residents.
Nursing home abuse can be difficult to detect. Often times, the victims of nursing home abuse are reluctant to admit they are being abused. If your loved one is suffering from any of the following, it may be a sign of nursing home abuse:
- Restraints – Sometimes, nursing homes will use restraints to prevent residents from moving. This can be a sign of nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse. Restraints can be chemical, like excessive drugging, or physical, like straps, belts, or placing a wheel char too close to a wall, preventing movement.
- Falls – A good nursing home will take every precaution so that their residents will not suffer from fall-related injuries. If your loved one has been injured from falling down, it may be a sign of nursing home negligence or nursing home abuse.
- Bruises – As people age, bruises take longer to heal. If your loved one has unexplained bruises on their body, it may be a sign of nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect.
- Unresponsive/Withdrawn Attitude – When a loved has a change of behavior and they no longer want to talk, or they seem depressed, withdrawn, or unresponsive, it can be a sign that they are suffering from nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect.
- Bedsores – although some bedsores are likely to occur in nursing home residents that are unable to move easily, they should be treated as well as possible. If your loved one is suffering from bedsores that go untreated, it may be a sign of nursing home negligence or nursing home abuse.
- Weight Loss – Nutrition and diet are extremely important to maintaining healthy residents in a nursing home. If your loved one has suffered from unexpected weight loss, it may mean the nursing home staff is not feeding them properly or adequately, causing them to suffer from nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse.
- Inattentive Staff – The nursing home staff should always be willing to respond to the needs of you or your loved one, if they are inattentive or vague in their aid or explanations of certain circumstances, it can mean nursing home abuse or nursing home negligence is occurring.
The best thing to do if you suspect you or a loved on is suffering from nursing home abuse or negligence is to contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney from Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law.
Contact the nursing home abuse attorneys at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law today to schedule an initial consultation. You and your loved one deserve to be compensated for the losses endured as a result of nursing home abuse and negligence.
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