You may make the tough decision to place your loved one in a nursing home if you are unable to serve as their full-time caregiver and they are unable to live by themselves anymore. And what may make this all the more difficult is if you discover that your loved one is being abused or neglected while staying in this facility. Read on to discover the most common signs of nursing home abuse and neglect and how a seasoned Toronto medical malpractice lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help your loved one out of harm’s way.
What are the different types of nursing home abuse and neglect?
The elderly tend to be a major target of abuse and neglect. This is because they are a vulnerable community that may be unable to speak up for themselves or unable to remember the incidents ever happening. With that being said, below are the different types of abuse and neglect that, unfortunately, may take place in a nursing home:
- Physical abuse of an elder.
- Emotional abuse of an elder.
- Sexual abuse of an elder.
- Financial abuse of an elder.
- Neglect of an elder.
What are the most common signs of this abuse and neglect?
Since your loved one may be vulnerable, you must serve as their protector. Meaning, you must be their eyes and ears for detecting any sign of abuse or neglect occurring. Common signs include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Physical abuse:
- Your loved one experienced a fall and cannot explain why.
- Your loved one has cuts, bruises, or broken bones and cannot explain why.
- Emotional abuse:
- Your loved one appears to be having mood swings, which is out of character.
- Your loved one appears withdrawn in social settings, which is out of character.
- Sexual abuse:
- Your loved one has rope burns on their wrists and ankles.
- Your loved one appears frantic in the presence of certain nursing home staff members.
- Financial abuse:
- Your loved one made a large withdrawal from their bank account and cannot explain why.
- Your loved one has personal items missing from their room.
- Neglect:
- Your loved one appears malnourished or dehydrated.
- Your loved one has bedsores.
If you get the smallest inkling that such abuse or neglect is occurring, then you must drop everything and file an elder abuse claim on your loved one’s behalf. This may just be the only way that you can recover their damages and attain justice so that no other nursing home residents are treated like this again. All in all, this claims process may be made easier with sound legal advisement from a skilled Ontario personal injury lawyer. Contact our firm as soon as you possibly can.
