Nursing home abuse refers to any action of a nursing home staff member or administrator that causes harm to their patients, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Regardless of the type of abuse, it can all cause residents to suffer different symptoms, from broken bones to withdrawal from social activities to financial loss.
When many people first think of nursing home abuse, they often think of physical actions. Although physical abuse does happen in nursing homes, it is not the most common type. While there are many different ways in which your loved one could be abused, unintentional neglect is one of the most common causes of harm to a loved one. Below, our Columbia nursing home abuse attorney explains more about the different types of nursing home abuse and neglect.
Neglect in Nursing Homes
While physical, emotional, and financial abuse are intentional, neglect is not. Neglect occurs when nursing home staff members fail to provide the proper standard of care to patients. Still, neglect causes significant harm. For example, if a staff member starts focusing on one resident at meal time and neglects another, the neglected resident may choke on their food, which can have catastrophic consequences. Even though it is not intentional, neglect is still considered nursing home abuse.
Some common examples of abuse and neglect in nursing homes are as follows:
- Improperly administering medication
- Failing to provide proper hygiene and sanitation
- Failing to promptly report illnesses, injuries, or infections to appropriate medical professionals
- Forgetting to reposition residents who suffer from mobility issues
- Failing to acknowledge and act on complaints about the staff members from residents
- Failing to regularly change a resident’s clothes
- Failing to keep residents from leaving the facility without supervision
There are many common signs of neglect in nursing homes. They include dirty clothing and bedding, bed sores, missed medication or improper dosages, poor hygiene, and dehydration and malnutrition. After witnessing any type of abuse in nursing homes, it is critical to speak to an attorney who can advise you of your loved one’s rights.
Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes
Physical abuse in nursing homes refers to any action or inaction of a staff member that results in injury, physical pain, or impairment. Some of the most common types of physical abuse in nursing homes include burning, punching, tripping, shoving, or kicking a nursing home resident. However, physical abuse does not always have to leave injuries that are immediately noticeable. Some types of abuse in nursing homes, such as dehydration and malnutrition, are much more subtle and often overlooked.
Physical abuse in nursing homes has many warning signs. The most common of these are as follows:
- Significant weight loss, particularly when there is no reasonable explanation
- Drastic changes in the resident’s behavior and personality
- Black eyes
- Loss of appetite
- Cuts and bruises
- Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores
- Unexplained hair loss
- Burns on the skin
- Insomnia and issues sleeping
Although physical abuse is not the most common, it is often the most noticeable. It is critical that all family members recognize the signs of physical abuse so they can report it when it occurs.
Emotional Abuse in Nursing Homes
Emotional abuse in nursing homes is sometimes known as psychological abuse. This type of abuse occurs when a resident experiences stress or emotional pain from intentional acts of maliciousness or non-physical exploitation. Unlike physical abuse in nursing homes, emotional abuse does not leave any noticeable injuries. This can make it challenging to identify when it is occurring. The lack of visible injuries is also one reason why emotional abuse is the most common form in nursing homes, because it is harder to detect.
There are many ways nursing home staff members can emotionally abuse residents. They include:
- Isolating residents from family members or other residents
- Withholding canes, walkers, glasses, hearing aids, and other accessibility devices
- Yelling, name-calling, and intimidating residents
- Taunting residents
- Limiting residents’ access to transportation and telephones
- Giving a resident the ‘cold shoulder’ or ‘silent treatment’
Residents who suffer from emotional abuse can experience symptoms that are difficult to detect.
They may suddenly and without explanation start showing signs of depression or anxiety and start withdrawing from social activities they once enjoyed. They may also seem fearful when visitors are about to leave or show severe dislike of a certain staff member. Often, family members have to ask residents directly about their experiences in the facility to determine if emotional abuse is occurring.
Financial Abuse in Nursing Homes
Financial abuse is the fastest-growing type of misconduct in nursing homes. This type of abuse in nursing homes refers to intentionally exploiting and manipulating residents for a staff member’s financial gain. Common examples of financial abuse include stealing money from a resident or using property and assets that do not benefit the resident’s needs. Financial abuse can also occur when a staff member tries to take advantage of a resident’s inability to understand complicated financial transactions.
Some common examples of financial abuse in nursing homes are as follows:
- Stealing a resident’s belongings or money
- Forging a resident’s signature on a will or power of attorney
- Tricking a resident into signing a legal document
- Misuse of guardianship or conservatorship
- Stealing a resident’s identity
- Threatening a resident into transferring property
- Using undue influence to change legal documents
Fortunately, while financial abuse typically happens behind closed doors, there are many common signs. These include credit card balances that are higher than usual, a significant change in spending habits, missing property, changes to legal documents, or forgeries on documents such as checks.
Call Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Columbia Today
Regardless of the types of abuse in a nursing home you suspect, it is essential that you obtain sound legal advice. Your loved one may have a right to compensation, but obtaining the full settlement you deserve is not easy. At Rikard & Protopapas, our Columbia nursing home abuse attorney can accurately value your claim, conduct a full investigation, and collect evidence so you obtain the maximum damages your family is entitled to. Call us today or fill out our online form to schedule a free review of your case and to learn more.