Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
As a New Jersey Bedsore Lawyer, Davis & Brusca understand that the decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home is very difficult to make. However, when our family members are no longer able to care for themselves or their condition requires more care than the family can deliver, we are left with no real choice. Caring families will do their best to find a facility to provide this necessary care for their loved ones, often based on its proximity to them. Families understandably trust that the nursing home, and its various administrators and staff members, care as much as they do; that they will do their best to ensure that all of their loved one’s physical, emotional, medical, and social needs will be met. Unfortunately, the level of service which is actually delivered often falls short of expectation. The result? Serious physical and emotional harm, such as bed sores.
Far too often nursing home residents fall victim to abuse and neglect by the very people who are supposed to be taking care of them. When that happens, the nursing home abuse attorneys at Davis & Brusca are here to help. Our legal team has extensive experience in prosecuting New Jersey nursing home abuse and neglect. You can trust the nursing home lawyers at Davis & Brusca to investigate your potential case, identify the causes of your loved one’s nursing home neglect and abuse, and to aggressively advocate for your rights and seek compensation for the harm the nursing home has caused. If you know, or event suspect, that your beloved elderly family member has been a victim of nursing home abuse, contact Davis & Brusca for help.
What kind of abuse do we frequently see?
- Physical Abuse: There are many ways in which staff physically abuse nursing home residents. This can include biting, hitting, kicking, pinching, or pushing the victim. Abusers can also use unwarranted physical restraints or medication in order to restrict the victim’s movement. Any type of physical force against a resident is considered physical abuse.
- Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse. Staff will use criticism, humiliation, shame, social isolation, verbal attacks, and yelling.
- Sexual Abuse: Any sexual contact that is unwanted is sexual abuse. Many nursing home residents have medical conditions that affect their mental capacities, leaving them unable to consent. Staff, other residents, or visitors can take advantage of the victim’s condition.
- Financial Abuse: Making changes to a resident’s financial plan through exploitation or fraud or stealing for the resident are classified as financial abuse. Some of the more common ways financial abuse is committed includes:
- Taking the resident’s property without permission
- Withdrawing money from the resident’s bank account without permission
- Forging the resident’s signature on checks
- Convincing the resident to change their will or other estate planning documents
- Stealing the resident’s identity to obtain credit cards in the resident’s name
Signs of Abuse
There are some common signs which signal the existence of serious abuse and neglect. If you see any of the following, you should consider that something is wrong, and contact a bedsore lawyer in NJ from Davis & Brusca immediately:
- Bedsores
- Finding the resident sitting in soiled linens or adult diapers
- Changes in personality or behavior
- Decline in personal appearance
- Decline in personal hygiene
- Dehydration
- Does not get excited about doing their favor activities
- Fear when around certain nursing home staff
- Malnourishment
- Nursing home staff refuses to allow family to be left alone with resident
- Resident refuses to eat
- Resident refuses to take medication
- Rocking back and forth
- Unexplained bruises, cuts, fractures, or welts
- Unexplained weight loss
