Nursing home abuse and neglect is a serious issue that affects millions of elderly citizens each year. All too often, the elderly are taken advantage of and suffer from physical, emotional, and financial abuse or neglect. It is important for people to understand what constitutes as nursing home abuse and neglect. This article will describe examples of nursing home abuse and neglect and the legal implications of such abuse and neglect.

Physical Abuse 

Physical elderly abuse involves any type of physical force that results in harm or injury to an elderly person. This can include hitting, pushing, kicking, slapping, burning, shaking, or any other activity that causes physical pain or injury. Elderly abuse can also involve the improper use of restraints, such as tying an elderly person to a bed or chair. The use of force to make an elderly person comply with requests is also considered abuse.

Sexual Abuse

Nursing home sexual abuse is any form of unwanted sexual contact or activity that occurs against an elderly person without their consent. This can include rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, or any other type of non-consensual sexual activity. It can also involve any type of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior, such as making unwanted sexual advances, or lewd comments. Nursing home sexual abuse can also include the inappropriate use of restraints, such as restraints used to keep an elderly person in a position that facilitates sexual activity.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional nursing home abuse involves any type of verbal or emotional mistreatment directed at an elderly person. This can include belittling, humiliation, manipulation, threats, intimidation, and verbal abuse. Emotional abuse can also include isolating an elderly person from friends and family or withholding affection or emotional support. Emotional abuse can be subtle and hard to detect, but the psychological harm it causes can be just as damaging as physical abuse. In addition to emotional pain, emotional abuse can also lead to feelings of worthlessness, depression, and anxiety. It is important to recognize the signs of emotional abuse in order to prevent it from happening to an elderly person.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse of a nursing home resident can take many forms. One example is when a nursing home employee or other person takes advantage of an elderly patient’s lack of cognitive ability and convinces them to sign away their financial assets. This can include signing over bank accounts, property, or other valuable items.

In some cases, the abuser may even use coercion or intimidation to get the resident to sign the documents. In addition, financial abuse can occur when a nursing home employee or other person takes advantage of the resident’s financial resources for their own personal gain. This can include taking money or property without consent or authorization or taking advantage of the resident’s vulnerability to make them sign away their financial resources. Financial abuse can also include identity theft or fraud.

Neglect

Nursing home neglect occurs when a nursing home staff fails to provide the necessary care or services needed to ensure the resident’s health and safety. It can include failing to provide basic necessities such as food, water, and shelter or failing to provide medical care, supervision, and assistance with activities of daily living.

Neglect can also include not providing adequate social interaction, failing to provide adequate care of the resident’s environment, or ignoring the resident’s emotional and psychological needs. This also entails leaving a resident in a soiled or unclean environment or not responding to medical emergencies in a timely manner. It can often be difficult to detect but can cause serious physical, emotional, and psychological harm to a resident.

Medication Mismanagement 

Nursing home medication mismanagement can involve any action or omission that results in the misuse or improper use of a nursing home resident’s medication. This can include giving the wrong medication, not dispensing medications as prescribed, leaving medications unattended, or tampering or misusing drugs.

Nursing home medication mismanagement can also involve giving a resident too much or too little of their medication. This can lead to dangerous side effects and even death. In addition, it can be difficult for a nursing home staff to properly monitor the dosage of a resident’s medication due to changes in behavior caused by the drug.

Inadequate Food/Nutrition

Nursing home residents are often prescribed medications to manage their condition or to prevent them from experiencing complications. This can lead to malnutrition and weight loss in nursing home residents. In addition, residents may not be given enough food to maintain their health or energy levels, which can also contribute to malnutrition.

Nursing home residents who are malnourished are at a greater risk for developing conditions such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and stroke.

If you suspect that your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home setting, it is important to reach out for help. There are resources available to assist you in filing a complaint or getting updates on your loved one’s situation. You can also seek out legal assistance if necessary.

Nursing home abuse and neglect can occur in any setting, but it is especially common in facilities that provide long-term care. Anyone who is concerned about their loved one’s safety should reach out for help.