{"id":251,"date":"2016-11-29T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tdlaw.com\/?p=251"},"modified":"2023-05-10T15:20:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T15:20:21","slug":"signs-of-physical-abuse-in-a-nursing-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tdlaw.com\/signs-of-physical-abuse-in-a-nursing-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Signs of physical abuse in a nursing home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Families send elderly loved ones to nursing homes to receive the proper round-the-clock care and personal attention the elderly need for their health. This practice is supposed to bring peace of mind. However, a third of nursing home residents suffer abuse. It can be difficult for the elderly to speak up and report it due to disability, fear, isolation or lack of outside support. Therefore, it\u2019s important that you know the signs of nursing home abuse so you can put an end to it before it leads to the wrongful death of your elderly loved one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical neglect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most instances of abuse are due to neglect because nursing homes don\u2019t have enough staff, well-trained staff or both. Residents don\u2019t receive adequate food or hygienic care, which leads to unintentional but still harmful elderly abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bedsores, or pressure ulcers, are one sign of neglect. These are injuries to the skin and tissue, usually over bony areas, from being in the same position for too long. The prolonged pressure restricts blood flow to the site. Bedsores come in different stages of severity<\/a>. Friction and shear make the skin even more vulnerable to damage. Common places you can find bedsores on nursing home patients are the shoulders, hips, tailbone, heels and back of the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another sign of neglect is change in weight, either loss or gain. Weight loss increases the risk of bedsores because there is not enough fatty tissue to act as a cushion between the body and bed. Likewise, malnutrition and dehydration are linked to bedsores, not only because of weight loss but also because they result in fragile skin. The health consequences of neglect are all interconnected, so the symptoms aggravate each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Active abuse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Active abuse is intentional bodily harm to a resident and can include hitting, slapping, pinching, kicking and other types of physical assault. These are some signs of active physical abuse to look for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n