Nursing Home Abuse
Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is quite common here in the United States. The statistics on this matter are shocking; nearly 30% of all nursing homes across the nation have been cited for instances of abusing their patients. Even more alarming is the fact that many more cases are not even reported.
Patients in nursing homes cannot fight back against this mistreatment because they cannot even take care of themselves without help. Many times, victims of abuse are also afraid to inform a superior or a family member of how poorly they are being treated. Because of this, nursing home abuse remains a pressing issue.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
There are four main types of nursing home abuse. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, watch for these warning signs indicating each of form of mistreatment:
- Physical Abuse: Unexplained injuries, broken glasses, signs of restraint, caretaker’s refusal to allow you to visit your loved one
- Emotional Abuse: Dementia-related behavior, such as sucking, rocking, or mumbling; caretaker directing threats or degrading comments toward your loved one
- Sexual Abuse: Injuries around the genitals, recent development, unexplained bleeding around the genitals, torn or stained underwear
- Neglect: Weight loss, dirty or unsafe living conditions, untreated medical issues, not being bathed, wearing too much or too little clothing
If you notice any of the above signs, then your loved one may be suffering nursing home abuse when you are not around.
Contact Us
If you or someone you love has been a victim of nursing home abuse, then you may have the right to claim damages from the negligent party. Contact the Washington medical malpractice lawyers of Fuller & Fuller at 800-570-4878 to speak with an attorney about how to take legal action today.