Nursing home abuse is willfully inflicting harm that results in physical pain, injury, intimidation, or unreasonable confinement or use of physical restraints beyond what is necessary to protect the individual and others around them. It’s a troubling issue that impacts some of the most vulnerable members of society, and is unfortunately much more common than one might expect.
Even when a nursing home resident is subject to multiple forms of abuse, their complaints often go ignored or swept under the rug by facility managers. If you’re worried about your loved one in an assisted living facility or if you believe you’ve seen signs of nursing home abuse on your last visit, talk to our Manchester nursing home abuse lawyer. We help you understand how to spot nursing home abuse or neglect and what to do about it.
What does nursing home abuse look like?
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, nursing home abuse can take several different forms. It can be perpetrated by nursing home staff members, the residents themselves, or by visitors to the property, like family members, visitors of other residents, or vendors servicing the facility.
Physical abuse
Nursing home physical abuse is any act intended to cause physical harm to the resident, most commonly hitting, pinching, pulling hair, or shoving. You may notice unexplained injuries like open wounds or cuts, bruises in unusual places, or sprains or broken bones. Marks on the wrists or lower legs from restraints may also be an indicator of physical abuse.
Physical abuse is easy to hide; elderly people often fall, and their delicate skin is more prone to bruising. However, if your loved one is showing more bumps and bruises than usual, and seems withdrawn and fearful, especially of particular individuals in the facility, these bruises may not be accidental.
Emotional and psychological abuse
Emotional abuse is verbal or nonverbal intentional behavior that causes distress, emotional pain, or trauma. Yelling at or insulting residents, threatening them, or deliberately humiliating them for their inabilities and struggles is common. Isolating the resident from others in the facility or their relatives and visitors, or intentionally ignoring their needs and requests, is another form of psychological abuse.
Sexual abuse
Any non-consensual sexual contact or behavior, including harassing comments and physical acts, is sexual abuse. Some residents may be unable to give consent, such as those in memory care facilities.
Neglect
Neglect is the failure of a caregiver to provide the necessary assistance, medical care, or other services. Withholding food or water as a punishment, failure to provide essential caregiving services, like turning a bedbound patient to prevent bedsores, or failure to assist with personal hygiene and bathroom needs are all common forms of neglect in nursing homes.
Neglect may be intentional and used as a form of punishment or may be due to understaffing and poor training of the nursing home staff.
Financial abuse and exploitation
Financial abuse, the improper or illegal use of a resident’s assets, property, or money for the perpetrator’s benefit, takes many forms, from overcharging by the facility and its management or owners to outright theft from residents. If you notice unexplained changes to estate planning documents, large withdrawals from bank accounts, or a sudden increase in nursing home bills with no explanation, then your loved one may be experiencing financial exploitation.
How can a lawyer help if my loved one is being abused in a long-term care facility?
If you’re worried about your loved one in a long-term care facility, talk to a personal injury or elder law lawyer before you start investigating yourself. It’s easy for nursing homes to hide signs of financial abuse, blame physical abuse on your loved one being old and clumsy, or claim that your loved one isn’t in their right mind and “just imagining things.” A lawyer can help you unobtrusively gather evidence of abuse and connect you with the right agencies to report it.
In New Hampshire, concerns may be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees long-term care facilities. Adult Protective Services may also step in when a vulnerable adult is at risk. A lawyer can help ensure those reports are handled properly while protecting your loved one’s safety.
If the evidence supports a claim, legal action may allow your family to seek compensation for medical costs, financial losses, and related harm.
What should I do if I suspect nursing home abuse?
Is your loved one a victim of nursing home abuse? We’re here to help. At Shaheen & Gordon, we take elder abuse in nursing homes seriously. If you believe your loved one may be experiencing nursing home abuse or neglect, speaking with an attorney can help you understand your legal options. Call us today at (800) 451-1002 or contact us online for a consultation.
