Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Can Come In Many Silent But Devastating Forms

Written by Adam Peck Category: Elder Law January 26th, 2013 2 min read

Nursing homes can be a sad state of affairs, and walking through one can be simultaneously depressing and frightening. Nobody ever wishes to place a loved one in a nursing home and nobody ever wants to end up in one as well.

It can be an equally frightening proposition to confront neglect. Neglect is a silent form of abuse and it qualifies as malpractice. It’s not always easy to discern neglect from an elderly individual’s typical withdrawal or lack of enthusiasm. While it is necessary to line patients along the corridor in order to efficiently wheel them to the dining room, leaving dependent patients in the hallways for hours on end quantifies neglect.

Nursing home abuse and neglect can come in many silent but devastating forms. Bed sores aka Decubitus Ulcers and Pressure Sores are a natural occurrence for bedridden patients, but they should be minimized by constantly being moved around in the bed as a preventative method of keeping bed sores under control. Bed sores, Decubitus Ulcers and Pressure Sores can be a glaring red flag that your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect can be masked too easily by staff members who fear the consequences, which places the burden of understanding abuse on the families and friends of those who are residing in nursing homes.

Toileting and bathing issues top the list for neglectand abuse issues. Many nurses and aids do not feel their paycheck reflects the humiliation that can accompany toileting issues. If you are trying to determine whether abuse is a possibility, ask your loved one if they are taken to the bathroom, how often, and how many accidents they are having, and how long they are required to sit in their soiled clothing. These answers can help determine the level of elder abuse and neglect that a facility may be liable for.

They can walk you through the filing process as well as the steps to reporting these issues. Nursing home abuse lawyers have ample experience in dealing with the tragedies associated with nursing home abuse and can be of invaluable assistance even if you are fortunate enough to discover that there is no abuse or medical malpractice at the suspected facility.

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.