How to Identify the Signs of Nursing Home Neglect

With close to two million Americans residing in long-term care homes, the resources within the sector are often stretched. This issue, combined with several other factors, can unfortunately sometimes lead to nursing home neglect.

If your loved one is living in a long-term care facility, then you will naturally want to ensure that they are receiving the very best care. However, there is only so much you can do, and you will have to trust the people who are in charge of the facility.

Knowing how to identify the signs of nursing home neglect can help you to know if your loved one is safe and well.

The Signs of Nursing Home Neglect

It is especially important to be aware of these signs when your loved one has communication or memory issues. Certain people are quite vulnerable to abuse and are unable to verbalize or express what has happened to them.

Signs of nursing home neglect include:

• Dehydration
• Agitation or emotional withdrawal
• Injuries
• Infections
• Unexplained weight loss or malnutrition

If you notice that your loved one is suffering from one or more of these problems, then it can indicate that they are being abused or neglected.

It is important to be aware that you can raise a lawsuit against a care facility for abuse and neglect. If you are experiencing this issue in the Midwest, then you will want to reach out to Brown & Crouppen for help. For those in Illinois specifically, the office of Brown and Crouppen Edwardsville IL, will be the best place to reach out to.

Read on for more information on the aforementioned signs of nursing home neglect.

Dehydration

When a nursing home patient is dehydrated, then this could indicate their needs are not being adequately met. This is a very basic need and therefore one that staff should always be able to take care of.

Agitation or Emotional Withdrawal

If your loved one suddenly appears to be agitated or emotionally withdrawn, then this could be a sign of neglect or abuse.

This person might be reluctant to explain their behavior, or they might not have the ability to do so. Trying to understand why a person’s mood has changed in this way is a good idea and could lead you to discover abuse or neglect.

Injuries

Injuries are a huge warning sign of mistreatment in residential care. This is especially true if the injuries are seeming inexplicable or have not been properly documented or treated by staff.

Infections

Similar to injuries, infections can indicate that your loved one is not receiving the right level of care. Poor hygiene by employees, as well as improper treatment of wounds and bedsores, can lead to infections.

Unexplained Weight Loss or Malnutrition

Losing weight can often be indicative of an illness or another health condition. However, it can also be due to loss of appetite because of the stress of abuse and neglect. It could also be because they are not being fed enough, which is a very serious and deliberate act of abuse.