Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and What to Do About it – A Brief Guide!

Do you know the hidden dangers that lurk in nursing homes? A sad fact is that elder abuse is often at the hands of their caregivers—even family members. It could be an assigned caregiver or an adult son or daughter living with their aging parent and taking advantage of the situation. Surprisingly, almost 60% of the elder abuse was perpetrated by caregivers, with 47% perpetrated by family members and 13% by medical caregivers, and only 6.7% of victims did not know their abuser. This is compounded by the fact that elderly people living in these situations typically have little or no ability to report abuse.

Thus, it’s crucial to be aware of the signs and take steps to protect against elder abuse. Here we have come up with everything you need to know about elderly abuse and what you can do about it to protect your loved ones and ensure their safety and well-being.

Elder Abuse – What Can Go On in Nursing Homes?

Elder abuse in nursing homes refers to a failure to act or any intentional act that can cause harm to an adult who is older than 60. Unfortunately, elder abuse can be more common than you believe. According to a rough estimate, 10% of elderly people over the age of 65 experience abuse every year. Furthermore, a recent study found that elder abuse affected 21.3% of older adults in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, representing an 83.6% increase from pre-pandemic levels.

It is important to mention here that these elderly people are three times more likely to die as a result of the abuse. Only a few cases of abuse or neglect get reported, which is why you should understand the types of abuse that your loved one can face at a nursing home.

In many cases, the victims of elderly abuse might be unaware of what is happening to them. This aspect includes that the family members of potential elder abuse victims need to look out for the signs of them getting abused or neglected and take steps to protect those they love.

What Are the Different Types of Abuse

There are several types of elder neglect and abuse, some of which are listed below:

Physical Abuse

Despite being reported by some elders in the USA, physical abuse is one of the most underreported forms of elder abuse. Physical abuse can include all forms of bodily harm or violence that can injure the older person. Physical abuse can exist in the form of slapping, shoving, and scratching. These kinds of injuries can have deadly consequences and complicate existing health problems.

Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse is about the situations that can occur at nursing homes where the elderly feel demeaned, belittled, or intimidated through words or actions. A study found that 29% of respondents experienced psychological abuse, with increased vulnerability among women, low-income individuals, and those with chronic diseases. Usually, the victims of mental abuse experience feeling attacked in their mental and emotional health instead of sustaining physical injuries.

Physical abuse can cause your loved one to go through stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Psychological abuse can take several forms:

Verbal Abuse:

Verbal abuse is about the abuser bullying, harassing, or yelling at the victim.

Psychological Torture:

Psychological torment is about the abuser blaming the victim for problems. This form of psychological abuse can also include making threats to the victim.

Isolation:

The abuse can also isolate the victim from friends, family, and social events.

Sexual Abuse

This kind of abuse occurs when the caregiver at the nursing home has sexual contact with the older adult without their consent or against their will. Alarmingly, about 0.9% of community-dwelling older adults in the US, representing around 90,289 individuals, reported experiencing sexual abuse. It is important to mention here that sexual abuse can also occur between two elderly people who no longer have the mental capacity to consent to sexual contact. 

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse is also another common form of elderly abuse that costs older adults over $28 billion annually. It involves the abuser taking money without the knowledge of the senior or their consent. This aspect includes taking control of the elderly’s finances and using their credit cards to steal their funds from their bank accounts.

It is important to mention here that some abusers might be granted power of attorney over a senior to gain complete control over their finances. It is also common for adults to target older adults coping with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, as they are more susceptible to financial abuse.

What to Do When You Detect Elder Abuse?

Now, when it comes to elders in nursing homes who are facing neglect, an attorney can help. Many people retire in nursing homes, and there are stringent laws about what nursing homes need to ensure their residents are well taken care of.

Many nursing home abuse cases are reported to lawyers by family members who are concerned that something is not right with their loved one who is in a nursing home or being taken care of by someone else.

If you suspect that your loved one in a nursing home is being abused or neglected, talk to a qualified attorney right away. The attorney can help you report the potential abuse to the proper agency and take proper measures to prevent your loved one from continuing to suffer.

The Importance of Knowing Who is in Charge

Some of the most common neglect in nursing homes is that your loved one is not being moved enough in their bed, and they suffer from bedsores or pressure sores. A lot of these things can create complications for the elderly person, ultimately resulting in their death.

On that note, if you have a loved one in a nursing home, it is incredibly important to stay on top of who is taking care of your loved one. You will also want to find out who is staying on top of your loved one’s hygiene. Also, know what type of medical care and treatment is being provided to your elderly loved one daily, including moving your loved one from bed to bed, taking care of them when they are bathed, etc.

The Importance of Doing Your Research

Many times, when people are mentally affected by their old age or are physically incapacitated, they can suffer falls when being transferred out of their beds or into showers. Typically, such falls are fatal. 

Before admitting your elderly loved ones to a nursing home, individuals in the nursing profession advise you to visit the facility to know what to expect and whether that nursing home is the right option for your loved one. You should know the difference between good care at a nursing home and negligent care at a nursing home.

Encourage Your Loved Ones to Share Their Concerns

Supporting your loved ones to raise their voice in case of discomfort can also be an excellent step in the prevention of elder abuse. Inspire them to voice themselves and believe you or another trustworthy caregiver. It will assist you in identifying potential problems in time so that you can sort them out before they become dangerous. 

Help your loved one discover their autonomy and independence, which can reduce their exposure to abuse. By empowering your loved one and promoting honest communication, you can create a safer and more supportive environment. This preventive method helps them to feel more capable of doing their own care, thus enhancing their overall well-being.

The Takeaway

In nursing home neglect cases, the damages one can seek are compensation for the injury that your loved one has sustained. You can also seek financial compensation for the emotional and mental pain and suffering that your loved one is sustaining due to abuse and neglect.

In such cases, the lawyer will typically go after the nursing home or any type of organization that is supposed to provide proper medical care and treatment for your elderly loved one. Your attorney can help you and your loved one get the compensation you deserve. Being professional in nurse career paths, understanding nursing home abuse can help you better support your patients.

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