Worried about the treatment a loved one is receiving in a nursing home?
Learn to spot the signs of abuse or neglect
If your loved one has entered long-term care in a nursing home or other live-in facility, you and your family are counting on the facility to help your loved one stay happy and healthy. You entrust the caregivers at that facility with your loved one’s future, and you trust the management at that facility to guide their staff and provide oversight. But what happens when your trust is broken?
At Nager, Romaine & Schneiberg Co., our team is dedicated to helping families just like yours who have been impacted by nursing home abuse or neglect. We believe that everyone has the right to safe, dignified, and respectful care; and when that doesn’t happen, we believe that nursing homes, long term care facilities, or caregivers responsible for abuse and neglect should face consequences.
It’s important to remember that every individual may have a different reaction to poor care, or to abuse and neglect. Listen to your loved one, and take note of changes in their mental, physical, and emotional state. Look for red flags like:
- Changes in mood or behavior
- Loss of weight or change in appetite
- Requests that certain caregivers not work with your loved one
- Poor hygiene or lack of grooming
- Bed sores or infrequent repositioning
- Inadequate food or water, or lack of access to food or water
- Dirty bedding or unhygienic room conditions
- Unexplained bruises, bumps, or scrapes
You may also notice red flags in the staff of your loved one’s care facility. While not every staff member may know the ins and outs of your loved one’s care plan, staff should generally interact courteously, calmly, and capably with patients. Watch for:
- Chaotic or inadequate staffing
- Unable to answer questions about your loved one’s day, medicines, or care plan
- Absence of leadership team members
- High turnover
- Constantly ringing phones or unanswered call buttons
- Dismissive or combative responses to your questions
If you think abuse or neglect is occurring, it’s important to document every red flag that you notice. You can also consider showing up unannounced, at different times of day, to see how your loved one is doing throughout the day, during shift changes, or at meal times.
Protecting the health and safety of a loved one in a nursing home is as important to you as it is to our team at NRS. If your loved one has suffered at the hands of a caregiver or live-in facility, call us today.
