The decision to put a beloved parent, aunt, or other relative into a nursing home is always hard. You’re placing your trust in the facility to provide your loved one with the exceptional care they deserve. It can be difficult when you start to suspect that one or more people at the nursing home may be subjecting your loved one to abuse or neglect.
If you do suspect abuse or neglect at the nursing home, it’s important to pursue those suspicions. When you see signs of abuse or neglect, you should report it to the authorities. After this report, you should contact Pushchak Law. Mr. Pushchak can help protect the rights of your loved one. You may be entitled to compensation that can pay for medical expenses and help relocate your loved one to a new facility.
What Constitutes Nursing Home Abuse?
There are many different types of behavior that might fall under the heading of nursing home abuse, including:
- Physical violence
- Emotional abuse
- Financial exploitation
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect
Physical violence is when a staff member or other resident deliberately hurts your loved one physically. This may be with blows, slaps, pinches, or drops.
Emotional abuse is when a staff member or other resident threatens, intimidates, mocks, or otherwise hurts the feelings of your loved one. This may be anything from an unwanted teasing nickname to an ongoing campaign of fear executed over months or years. It may even be disguised as pretended affection.
Sometimes staff or other residents know that your loved one has significant financial resources. Staff or residents may take advantage of their giving nature or impaired mental state to profit personally from them. This financial exploitation may be paired with physical or emotional abuse.
Sexual abuse is when a staff member or resident engages in nonconsensual acts with your loved one. This can be intercourse, groping, violations of privacy, or even harassing comments.
Neglect can be a form of abuse. Sometimes a staff member fails to provide your loved one with the care or attention they need. There can be many causes of nursing home neglect, but often the problem is simply that the nursing home is overfilled and/or understaffed.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
It can be hard to identify the signs of nursing home abuse. You expect your loved one will undergo some changes in their emotional and mental state, and there are physical changes that go along with declining health as they age. However, here are some signs to look for, such as:
- Bruises or bleeding
- Broken bones
- Trauma to head or face
- Bedsores
- Malnutrition and dehydration
- Changes in the way clothes fit
- Changes in facial appearance
- Emotional withdrawal
- Depression
- Evasive conversation
- Crying
- Complaints of poor treatment
- Reluctance to speak around or about certain staff
- Unexplained diseases or infections
- Physical discomfort
- Unexplained financial difficulties
- Unpaid bills
- Changes in their will or power of attorney
- Missing personal objects or mementos
You likely decided to put your loved one in a care facility because they are not fully capable of independent living, possibly because of decreased physical or mental fitness. This might mean that their ability to communicate could be impaired. In that case, you must be more vigilant and empathetic. Do not dismiss complaints, even if they don’t make sense at first.
How to Report Nursing Home Abuse
If you believe that your loved one is in imminent danger, call 9-1-1.
For other complaints, it’s important to report your suspicions as soon as you have evidence of abuse or neglect. You can contact:
If you are unsure what to report or how to make a report, we can help with this. However, it’s often best to make your complaint before contacting a lawyer.
How a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Can Help
As we noted above, Mr. Pushchak can help you make your formal report or complaint to appropriate government agencies. In addition, we can help you get compensation for your loved one’s:
- Physical suffering
- Emotional pain
- Medical bills
- Fees paid for care or items not received
- Financial losses
- Lost property
During your consultation, we can talk in detail about the potential compensation that might be available in your case.
Most importantly, holding a nursing home accountable for these abusive or negligent actions can help prevent the same tragic situation from occurring again in the future. No one’s loved one deserves to be treated in this manner, and it’s crucial that nursing homes understand there are serious consequences when they fail to provide the standard of care which is expected.
Why Choose Pushchak Law
At Pushchak Law, we follow our exclusive Informed Decisions™ approach. We understand that personal injury lawsuits are personal, and that means we prioritize the person or people at the center of the case.
When you work with us, you’ll see that we:
- Make ourselves available to you
- Care about you
- Take time to listen to your needs
- Give you information and help you make the right decisions
- Work toward a fair outcome for you
We only take cases that matter to us. You are never just another case, and we understand that you aren’t looking for money, you’re looking for fair compensation for the injury you or your loved one suffered. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that we only get paid when we win compensation for you.