What should you do if your elderly loved one is being abused in a care facility? Our loved ones are everything to us. When they take up residence in a care facility, we trust those workers to care for them and keep them safe, as we would if they were at home with us.
If you are noticing signs that your loved one is not receiving quality care and may even be a victim of abuse, there is more you can do than you might realize.
Below, we will cover the signs to watch out for, the different forms of elder abuse, and the steps to take so that you know how to approach the situation if it ever happens to your loved one.
What to Do If Your Loved One Is Being Abused in an Elder Care Facility
Nursing home abuse should never be tolerated. If you have a valid reason to believe that your loved one is a victim of elder abuse, report it right away.
Schedule a meeting with the elder care facility’s administrator so that you can express your concerns and the situation can be looked into further. You can also contact the police if you fear your loved one is in imminent danger.
Signs That Your Loved One Is Being Abused
Some signs of abuse in an elderly person include but are not limited to:
- Bruises
- Cuts or bleeding
- Damaged glasses
- Drastic behavior changes
- Emotional distress
- Extreme thirst or hunger
- Financial discrepancies
- Red marks
- Reports showing that your loved one has been given too much or not enough medication
- Withdrawn behavior
Types of Elder Abuse
When the word “abuse” comes to mind, we often associate it with violence. While violence is one form of elder abuse, there are several other types of abuse as well. Here is a short breakdown:
- Physical Abuse: This goes back to violence. Physical abuse means that your loved one has been hit, kicked, or abused on the body in some form.
- Emotional Abuse: Saying hurtful words to your loved one or manipulating them are forms of emotional abuse. This type of abuse can be difficult to recognize since you might not see physical signs of abuse. However, the signs are still there, such as in distressed or withdrawn behavior.
- Sexual Abuse: This form of abuse involves “nonconsensual sexual contact” (i.e., touching someone without their permission or forcing them to engage in undesired sexual activity).
- Medication Abuse: If you have noticed that your loved one has been given a higher amount of their medication than normal without reason, that could signify abuse. The same goes if they have received less than their usual dose.
- Financial Abuse: This means taking control of an elderly person’s money or using their credit card without their permission. Charging someone twice for a service at the nursing home (or for a service that they did not receive) and making them spend their money on the staff are a few examples of financial abuse.
- Neglect: Our loved ones deserve the best care. If the nursing home is not catering to their basic needs of food, water, shelter, and safety, that could signify neglect.
When to Hire an Elder Law Attorney
Elder law attorneys can file a report for your loved one’s abuse so that they may receive compensation for their injuries or emotional distress. If the case investigation is not going anywhere, and the abuse continues, contact an elder law attorney right away to take the case to court.
Remember: you cannot see all forms of abuse with the naked eye, but if a lawyer gets involved, the truth will come to light.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation.