What to Do If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse

A nursing home is there to provide love, care and safety for your elderly loved one. The facility should always look out for its residents’ best interests. However, this is not always the case. Nursing home abuse is becoming more prevalent. For NPS Law, this is a source of great concern. Such concern quickly turns to anger, knowing that those entrusted with the care of such vulnerable people are taking advantage of them. 

Abuse in a Nursing Home

Abuse in a nursing home can take several forms. Common types include:

1. i) Physical abuse like assault
2. ii) Sexual harassment and overtures

iii) Failure to provide the required medical attention

1. iv) Verbal abuse
2. v) Blackmail
3. vi) Failure to provide adequate feeding

vii) Failure to provide adequate necessities like bathing

These are some of the most common forms of abuse that an elderly person can fall victim to in a nursing home. In worst-case scenarios, an elderly victim may die due to sheer neglect, prompting a wrongful death case. 

If you suspect that your loved one is suffering nursing home abuse, you can take the following steps:

1) Remain Calm

Before you embark on any course of action, it’s important to rein in your emotions. The very thought of knowing that your weak and elderly loved one was abused or molested can stir up feelings of anger. You may be tempted to go to the nursing home and get into a physical altercation with the staff. However, this will not help matters. It’s best to remain calm and figure out a way to handle the situation reasonably. 

2) Speak With the Management and Staff

It’s usually best to confront issues of nursing home abuse head-on. Once you have your suspicions, approach the person in charge of the nursing home and ask to discuss the matter with them. Sometimes, what may seem like abuse may turn out to be nothing. For instance, if your loved one likes to make unreasonable demands, they may perceive the staff’s unwillingness to acquiesce to their demands as a form of neglect. That’s why it’s necessary to speak with the nursing home management and staff. If their side of the story isn’t stacking up, you may proceed to take further action.

3) Talk to Your Loved One

Ultimately, your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse, real or imagined. Regardless of the situation, you need to speak with them. Preferably, such a conversation should occur in private. Your loved one will shed light on whatever is going on from their perspective. Having spoken to the staff and management already, you’ll then be able to get a better picture of what’s going on. Always remember that the nursing home staff and management may be reluctant to discuss any issues of suspected abuse, either out of self-preservation or because they think it is a trivial matter. Talking to your loved one may help confirm your suspicions or clarify things.

4) Document Any Evidence of Suspected Abuse

Any reputable nursing home will not want to do anything that will tarnish its reputation or jeopardize its standing in the community. As such, they will investigate allegations of abuse swiftly and thoroughly to resolve the matter. If you’re questioning their staff about suspected abuse, they’ll not have a problem with it as long as you’re respectful. During such questioning, it helps if you can take notes. Get the names of every staff member you speak to. If possible, talk to other residents of the nursing home. If there are signs of physical abuse like bruises and welts, take pictures. You can later present such evidence to the authorities should the need arise. 

Of course, sometimes, the signs of abuse are clear as day. You may feel that your loved one’s safety is at stake. It is advisable to call the police right away in such situations. 

5) Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

If you’d like to skip most of the above steps, simply contact a reputable lawyer that focuses on handling nursing home abuse cases. As a professional, the lawyer will know what to do. Once you’ve discussed all the details, the lawyer will know how to handle the situation best. 

Always remember that your loved one may be reluctant to discuss nursing home abuse for fear of retribution. As such, you should always look out for signs of abuse that may not be physical. For instance, if your loved one seems subdued every time you visit them, it may indicate great distress. 

All in all, you should take action the moment you suspect nursing home abuse.