Evansville Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Serving Evansville, IN

Once loved ones have reached a certain age and can no longer do things on their own, we consider moving them to a nursing home. Nursing homes should be a place where our loved ones can feel safe and secure, while families feel peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are receiving the care they need. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Elders, not being able to take care of themselves like they used to, can often become victims of nursing home abuse. Fortunately, there are legal options.

If your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, contact the Evansville nursing home abuse attorneys at Gerling Law today.

Identifying Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse can manifest itself in many ways. Unfortunately, these signs are often not taken seriously, as they may be deemed signs of old age or dementia. It is essential to look for the various signs of abuse, as they may vary widely.

The most common forms of abuse are neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and financial abuse. Signs of nursing home abuse may include:

• Bruises or broken bones;
• Severe bedsores;
• Emotional changes;
• Sexually transmitted diseases;
• Fear of nursing home staff;
• Weight loss or dehydration;
• Inability to pay bills; and
• Sudden changes in the elder’s will.

Often, loved ones will keep to themselves and not tell their families about the abuse they are experiencing. This may be due to shame or even fear of retaliation by the abuser. Families must keep a very close eye on their loved ones while in a nursing home.

5 Forms Of Nursing Home Abuse in Evansville, IN

Knowing the types of nursing home abuse and their signs is crucial in protecting your loved ones and getting the justice they deserve. Here are five forms of nursing home negligence.

Physical and Sexual Abuse

Unexplained wounds or injuries are signs of physical abuse. Sometimes the injuries are not obvious. If possible, talk with your loved one about how they feel. For example, ask if they are in pain. Signs of physical abuse range from bruises to broken bones. Also, if a doctor sees your loved one quite often, ask why the need for so many visits.

Be aware, the nursing home could be hiding injuries from you. Abuse can occur as sexual abuse. Sexual abuse includes sexually transmitted diseases or infections or injury to genitalia or the anal area. Again, these injuries may not be obvious, so asking your loved one questions is important.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse happens often because most nursing home patients can’t manage their own finances. Signs of financial abuse include missing property and unexplained charges on bills. To this end, make sure you regularly check finances and ask about anything you don’t understand on the bill.

Emotional Abuse

Signs of emotional abuse include anxiety, fear of medical staff and refusing care. Because there is no physical evidence, emotional abuse is hard to prove. Ask your loved one how they like the nursing staff. In addition, ask if they have a favorite nurse. These questions may help you find out if anything is wrong.

Negligence

Negligence in nursing homes is failing to meet the standard of care for a patient that results in serious illness or injury. For nursing home patients, neglect includes being underfed, dehydrated, bad hygiene, or bedsores. Also, if your loved one complains about not being seen by a doctor when requesting one, this can be negligence.

Abandonment

Abandonment occurs when a patient’s conditions are unsanitary or dirty. Therefore, if the your loved one’s room, bathroom, bed or person is always dirty, the nursing home has been negligent. Abandoning a person who cannot care for themselves is heartless and wrong.

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