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Nursing Home Abuse
Verbal :: Mental :: Sexual :: Physical
Weight Loss :: Sudden Memory Loss :: Irritation/Anxiety
Bruises :: Bedsores :: Restraints
Everyone grows older. And, as we grow older we may require help to continue living a happy, healthy and rich lifestyle. Fortunately, the majority of our elderly loved ones lead happy, healthy and rich lives as they grow older.
But, tragically, there is a growing percentage of our elders that are subject to elder abuse and nursing home abuse, neglect or negligence.
On any given day, approximately 1.6 million people live in approximately 17,000 licensed nursing homes.
According to a report on nursing home and other related facilities issued by the U.S. House of Representatives of the United States Congress in 2001, abuse in nursing homes may be more prevalent that once thought and on the rise.
The report revealed some of the following facts:
- During a two-year period between 1999 and 2001, nearly one-third of all certified facilities had been cited for some type of abuse violation that had the potential to cause harm or had actually caused harm to a nursing home resident.
- Ten percent of the nursing homes in the U.S. were cited for abuse violations that caused actual harm to residents or placed them in immediate jeopardy of death or serious injury.
- The percentage of homes with abuse violations has been increasing, probably as a result, at least in part, as a result of more stringent reporting requirements and increased vulnerability among residents.
- The cases involving abuse included physical and sexual abuse as well as verbal abuse involving threats and humiliation.
Nursing home abuse and nursing home negligence may take the following forms:
- Verbal abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Mental/psychological abuse
- Physical abuse
- Forced seclusion
Sometimes the critical warning signs of nursing home abuse, neglect, and general negligence go unnoticed until the elderly resident speaks out about the problem.
However, there are a few warning signs of abuse and neglect that can easily be missed without careful review. Some of the signs that an elderly loved one is being abused or harmed include the following:
- Weight loss
- Sudden memory loss or periods of forgetfulness
- Irritation or anxiety without any measurable cause
- Bruises
- Bedsores
- Restraints
Simple things like weight loss and dehydration are critically important signs that the nursing home or facility is not providing its residents with the proper nutrition or health care.
A severe loss in weight could be a result of malnutrition, dehydration, or food-related illnesses that can become a life threatening problem.
In addition, poor nutrition and extended periods left in their beds may also result in bedsores – a sore induced by prolonged pressure on the body. Even the common sudden memory loss or periods of forgetfulness are also signs of possible abuse, neglect or negligence.
Additionally, nursing home residents who become overly anxious, irritable, or frightened may also be experiencing some form of possible trauma, neglect or negligence. In addition, bruises and bedsores are another apparent sign of possible abuse.
Please navigate to the links below to find more information on personal injury and what individuals suffering from a personal injury can do to protect their legal rights or contact us.
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