Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse
The most common complaint about nursing homes, as reported to state and federal agencies, is that the homes fail to respond to complaints.
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Nursing home neglect and abuse can lead to very serious sickness and injury; and in some cases the death of an innocent individual.
Considered one of the most hidden types of crime, elder abuse is often hard to expose; and it is sometimes difficult to punish those suspected of such abuse. Examples of abuse that can occur in nursing homes (or under the care of family) include financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. While most reports of abuse focus on neglect, instances of financial exploitation of the elderly is on the rise.
Some nursing home residents are hesitant to disclose instances of abuse out of fear that the abuse will worsen, or because they do not wish to burden their families. Some nursing home residents may not be able to communicate that abuse is occurring due to physical or mental limitations. If there are any signs or indicators that nursing home abuse is present, immediate action should be taken.
Government and private research shows that nursing home residents throughout the United States have died or have been seriously injured as a result of nursing home neglect. Hensley Walker, P.A., is dedicated to helping these victims.
Our Nursing Home Resident areas of expertise include:
- Unexplained Injury or Death
- Pressure Sores
- Malnutrition
- Falls
- Dehydration
- Sexual Assault
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Warning Signs
If you notice any of these warning signs of nursing home abuse or neglect, please contact us immediately:
- Sudden weight loss
- Bruising
- Falls
- Bedsores
- Restraints
- Staff inattention
Sudden Weight Loss
When you visit a loved one in a nursing home, make sure to ask about their weight. Visit at mealtime and see if they are eating.
Recent studies indicate that a large percentage of the nation's nearly 2 million nursing home residents are at risk of malnutrition and dehydration. The range is broad because there have been no large national studies and there is no consensus on what health measures should be used. No matter the measure, the problem exists even at some of the "best" - or costliest - facilities.
At greatest risk are frail seniors who must take multiple medications daily - some known to be appetite-killers. These people tend to have trouble seeing, hearing and tasting, as well as swallowing and chewing. They are vulnerable to depression and prone to forgetfulness and declining mobility; and about half of them have dementia, which requires extra care during mealtime.
Bruising
Families of nursing home residents should ask questions when they see bruises on a loved one’s body. Bruises - actually pools of blood from broken capillaries - heal slowly in people with poor circulation. Bruises often occur when a nursing home resident is struck by a member of the nursing home staff or when the resident falls. Any bruise or cut requires both medical attention and evaluation to determine its cause.
Nursing home residents are victims of physical violence and sexual abuse far more frequently than the nursing home lobby acknowledges. A congressional report prepared by California Congressman Henry Waxman contains graphic account after account of angry staffers beating terrified residents. The report concludes that more than 1,600 nursing homes in the United States placed their residents in "immediate jeopardy of death or serious injury."
Falls
When a resident enters a nursing home, the nursing home or assisted living facility must develop a care plan. The care plan should include an assessment of the resident's risk of falling to determine what assistance the person may need to get around.
Unfortunately, many nursing home residents fall because of the nursing home's negligence. Studies have found that nursing home falls are often caused by factors like weakness and walking problems, due both to age and lack of physical conditioning; staff inattention; wet floors; poor lighting; improper bed height; poorly fitted wheelchairs; and difficulty moving the resident, such as from a bed to a chair.
Falls can be prevented without the use of restraints. Although restraints, such as bed rails, have often been used for nursing home residents with a history or high risk of falls, studies have shown that by limiting a resident's freedom of movement, restraints can actually contribute to fall-related injuries.
Bedsores
Bedsores, sometimes called pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, are very common in nursing homes. This, however, does not mean bedsores are acceptable.
These are chronic wounds, which fail to heal due to a constant external pressure on the tissue. The ulcer is caused by diminished blood supply to the underlying structures of the skin, fat, and muscles because of such sustained and constant pressure. Such sores are found in patients who have been permitted to lie too still for a long period. The bony prominences of the body are the most frequently affected sites. In the early stages, the skin appears red and turns white when touched, like sunburn. Stage Two sores break the skin; and if left untreated, decubitus ulcers can crater and leave muscles, tendons and bones exposed.
Bedsores can be prevented by changing a person’s position frequently and regularly, and by ensuring they have adequate nutrition. Using a moisturizer also helps prevent bedsores.
Restraints
Nursing homes use both physical and chemical restraints on their patients. Physical restraints involve any method that the individual cannot remove easily and that restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one’s body. Examples include leg restraints, arm restraints, vest or jacket restraints, waist belts, geri-chairs, hand mitts, wheelchair safety bars and lap pillows.
Nursing homes sometimes restrain elderly patients by tucking in a sheet so tightly that a patient cannot move, with bedrails or chairs that prevent a patient from rising, or by placing a wheelchair-bound patient so close to a wall that the wall prevents the patient from rising.
While mood-altering drugs can be useful in restoring good health, drugs also can be administered to sedate a patient for the convenience of the nursing home or to discipline someone who is uncooperative. Any drug that causes a person to be incapable of normal mobility should be considered a chemical restraint.
Staff Inattention
The most common complaint about nursing homes, as reported to state and federal agencies, is that the homes fail to respond to complaints. Your loved one is in a nursing home because he or she needs care and supervision she cannot get elsewhere. If the staff is too overworked to respond to the call button, then problems will multiply.
When the staff cannot respond, mistakes happen. Pills are given too often or not at all. Patient hygiene suffers. Signs of serious illness are often overlooked.
Many people need the care of a nursing home because of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, conditions that often lead people to wander about the hallways. Nursing home facilities must be held accountable when individuals wander. Staff inattention is to blame, not the patient.
To find answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding nursing home abuse and neglect,and to learn what your case might be worth, click below to fill out our free case evaluator.
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