When Nursing Care is Careless—or Worse
When you decide to place a loved one into the care of a skilled nursing facility or assisted living community, you’re placing a lot of trust in the home’s management and staff. Nearly one and a half million people in the U.S. live in nursing care facilities. While the overwhelming majority of these people are well cared for and well treated, there are instances of careless supervision of employees, neglectful care and even outright abusive conduct.
Residents of Nursing Homes
If you’re like many people, you probably think of the elderly when you hear about nursing homes. While elderly Americans make up the majority of residents in nursing care facilities, age isn’t the only reason someone might live in such a place. People who require round-the-clock care or who have severe disabilities often live in nursing homes, either permanently or on a temporary basis.
How to Detect Nursing Home Abuse
It’s wise to research a home as part of the vetting process; speak with residents and make surprise visits before committing your loved one to the facility’s care. However, there are no guarantees. You can no more predict the future than you can single-handedly provide the 24-hour care your family member needs.
No matter how confident you are in the choice of facility, it can pay—and may even save a life—to be vigilant. Staff and procedures may change over time, and that can alter the quality of care given to the residents. In many cases, there are subtle signs when neglect or abuse exists.
Spotting Neglect
Neglect is arguably the most common form of nursing home abuse. Signs of neglectful care may be more difficult to spot than evidence of outright abuse. When you visit your loved one, look for the following:
- Persistent urine or feces odor
- Stained sheets or bedclothes
- Unwashed or unkempt hair
- Bedsores
- Halitosis (persistent bad breath)
It’s also a good idea to check around your loved one’s room. Make sure his or her toothbrush looks as though it’s being used, and that clean clothing is properly hung or folded. It should look like someone’s job is to keep the room clean—because it is.
Spotting Intentional Abuse
While intentional nursing home abuse is exceedingly rare, it does happen. This can be among the most heart-wrenching discoveries you could make. Signs that an individual—who could be a staff member or another resident—is abusing your loved one may include:
- Unexplained bruises, welts or other injuries
- Personality changes
- Unexplained withdrawal, particularly in the presence of one or more facility workers or residents
Any suspicions or concerns you may have should be immediately brought to facility management. If you aren’t satisfied with their handling of the situation, contact a local nursing home abuse lawyer right away.
Who Could be Liable?
If you discover nursing home neglect or abuse, who could be liable for damages? As with most things, this will depend on the situation. Determining liability begins with discovering who was negligent, or in certain cases, malicious.
If the facility’s management knew, or should have known, about neglectful care, the law may hold the facility itself accountable for whatever harm comes to the residents in its care. This is often the case, particularly since many care facilities are chronically understaffed. The law holds nursing homes to a certain standard of care, and overworked or poorly trained staff may be unable to maintain this standard.
Legal Help for Families
If negligent or abusive nursing care staff has harmed your beloved family member, the law is on your side. By working with a compassionate, experienced personal injury attorney, you can determine what options you have to get justice for your loved one.
Let us evaluate your case, free of charge. Call us toll free at 1-877-335-8784 to speak with an experienced attorney today.