3 Tips To Help You Notice Nursing Home Abuse
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, this might be a very stressful time for your family as you try to make your loved one as comfortable as possible during the last stage of their life. That said, things can become even more stressful very quickly if you suspect that your loved one is suffering abuse or injury at the hands of the nursing home staff. If you have suspicions about what is going on at the nursing home when you are not there, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
1. Unexpected Physical Injuries
Your loved one might not be able to fully communicate with you about what is going on, in which case you will need to watch any changes to their health very carefully. If your loved one suddenly experiences a rash of physical injuries that have shaky explanations, you might want to start digging for more information. A broken wrist or other physical injury is cause for alarm and could potentially be a sign of abuse.
2. Significant Change in Mood
Granted, your loved one might not be in the best mood anyway because they don't want to be in a nursing home, but if you notice a change where they become even more upset than usual, start asking questions. In other cases, your loved one might suddenly become withdrawn and stop talking as much as they used to. A significant change in mood could mean something bad is going on when you are not there.
3. Questionable Sanitation
If you notice that your loved one's room always seems freshly scrubbed right when you get there, it's possible they only decided to clean up because they knew you were coming. If possible, try and show up at the nursing home unannounced and take a look at the condition of your loved one's room and their own personal cleanliness as soon as you arrive. Also, keep your eyes open as you walk the hallways and peek into other rooms if you can do so without bothering anyone and make a note of what you see.
If you suspect that your loved one has been injured or is the victim of ongoing abuse, you need to reach out to a nursing home injury attorney as soon as possible. A good attorney will have additional tips you can use to build an investigation. Furthermore, just having an attorney reach out to the nursing home could potentially get the abuse to stop. Contact a lawyer today for more information.
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