What are the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?

Whether to put your loved one into a nursing home or care facility is a daunting choice to make. One always want to be assured that their family member will be taken care of in a clean and safe environment.

However, some nursing home takes ill advantage of their elderly residents. Nursing home abuse in Florida is rampant as the state is home to a large population of senior citizens. Moreover, with the lack of acceptable staff in Florida nursing homes, the elderly are feeling themselves be in a dangerous situation.

Nursing home abuse is tough to spot. You can approach your nearest personal injury attorney in Tampa, FL to know whether your loved one is being abused in a nursing home. You can also watch for the indicators given below to ensure that your loved one is not being mistreated by the facility you trusted.

Behavioral Changes

Though changes in the behavior of your loved ones could be due to aging, however, if they start showing some drastic changes while residing in the facility, it may be considered abuse. You should lookout for the following:

• Agitation
• Feelings of paranoia
• Loss of interest
• Withdrawal from fellow residents or visitors
• Fearful behavior towards caregivers

The behavior mentioned above is a cry for help that you should heed.

Dehydration and Malnutrition

Dehydration is a common sign of nursing home neglect and abuse. Caregivers may ignore or overlook their residents who as for water or fail to provide aid to those who are incapable of drinking on their own.

A significant loss in weight is always alarming. Some elder citizens may be suffering from medical conditions that may include weight loss. However, unexplained loss of weight may indicate that your loved one is being deprived of adequate nutrition.

Bedsores

It is one of the main signs that an elderly resident is being abused or neglected in the home. Bedsores are developed as a result of constant pressure at one particular area on the skin. This leads to restriction in the blood flow causing the formation of sores.

Bed-ridden residents of the facility or who are unable to turn themselves in bed are prone to bedsores without attentive care. Bedsores can become worse if left untreated and lead to tissue damage beneath the skin and infection.

Medication Issues

Usually, elderly citizens require more than one medication due to various health conditions. The nursing home staff must administer the medication of the members properly. Caregivers at the facility may misuse, neglect, or abuse their responsibility in many ways, such as:

• Missing the medication
• Withholding medication
• Administering the wrong medication
• Giving the wrong dosage

The nursing home may abuse medication to control their residents. Instead of deputing physical restraints, the facility may simply administer heavy sedatives to make the elder people more compliant.

Misconduct on the Part of a Caregiver

The nursing homes are expected to provide a caring and friendly environment for the quality of life, safety, and health of their residents. However, abusive and negligent caregivers may openly mistreat their residents. Besides, it is also considered abuse if the caregivers block the resident's access or refuse them to leave alone with their family members.

Conclusion

Families of loved ones look nothing less than compassion, care, and understanding for their elderly loved ones. You should search for the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect. If any of the above or other abuse is found to have occurred, you should immediately consult a Personal Injury Attorney in Tampa, Fl to ensure your loved one gets the highest quality of care.