Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Abuse of an elderly person can be physical, mental or financial and takes a variety of forms. A case of elder neglect and abuse is frequently based on malnutrition, falls, dehydration, pressure sores, infections, burns, and assaults. Staffing and training deficiencies often cause these injuries.
Evidence of abuse is rarely obvious, but frequently can be proved by showing patterns of questionable staff behavior, poor living conditions and injuries to the resident that are unexplained or not consistent with his or her condition. For example:
- A combination of new and old injuries
- Cuts, lacerations, puncture wounds, bruises, welts, discoloration
- Any injury that looks like it may have been caused by cigarettes, caustics, acids, friction from ropes or chains, or contact with other objects
- Poorly treated or untreated injuries
- Injuries in areas usually covered by clothing
- Poor skin condition, poor skin hygiene or lice
- Absence of hair and/or hemorrhaging below the scalp
- Dehydration or malnutrition that is unrelated to illness
- Loss of weight
- Soiled clothing or bedding
- Inadequate clothing
- Depression or withdrawal
- Hesitation to talk openly
- Fearfulness of caregivers
- Confusing or contradictory statements by an otherwise competent senior
- Resignation or denial
- Implausible explanations of injuries or conditions
- Unexplained agitation
- Denial of an injured state
Financial abuse may be causing the following conditions:
- A sudden lack of knowledge about financial matters
- A sudden refusal to make financial decision or pay bills without consulting another person.
- Unusual or inappropriate banking activity
- Signatures on checks or other financial documents other than your relative's, particularly when your relative can no longer write
- The creation of a Power of Attorney or Will, when your relative is incapacitated
- Numerous unpaid bills and overdue rent when someone is supposed to be handling your relative's finances
- Lost valuables
Nursing home staff or administration behavior that raises suspicion of abuse includes:
- Not allowing an elder to speak for him or herself
- Not allowing an elder to visit with others out of staff presence
- Expression of anger or ambivalence towards an elder
- Suggestion that an elder’s injuries or undesirable behavior is deliberate or self-inflicted
- Inappropriately affectionate or sexual interaction with an elder
- Restrictions on activity or isolation
- Conflicts between the staff and the elder about the cause of an injury
- Inappropriately defensiveness when asked to explain an injury
- Unjustified control of an elder’s finances
If your loved ones are victims of neglect or abuse in a nursing or residential facility, there are probably other residents in the facility who are also being neglected or abused; in fact there is probably a continuing pattern of neglect at the facility. The facility's history of violations of both federal and state law can show this pattern. Our firm will aggressively pursue all forms of neglect, abuse and assault.
