No one wants to imagine their senior relative being mistreated while in a nursing home. But sadly, this happens more often than people realize. Senior residents are vulnerable to abuse at nursing care facilities. Many of these incidents of abuse or neglect go unnoticed or unreported. If you are suspicious of the care your senior family member is receiving, please contact our Huber Heights, OH nursing home lawyer as soon as possible. We can investigate further and ensure your relative is protected from harm. If you know an incident has already occurred, we urge you to notify the authorities and contact Cowan & Hilgeman immediately.
Evidence Of Abuse
If there are changes in a person’s personality or behavior, then that could be a sign that mistreatment is happening. If you observe tension between your relative and a caregiver, this can point to potential abuse or neglect. Physical signs of abuse could be unexplained injuries, bruises, welts, not taking medications properly, restraint marks on wrists or ankles, broken eyeglasses, and the refusal of the caregiver to let you be with your relative alone. Signs of emotional abuse can entail unusual behavior, rocking, or sucking one’s thumb. If you witness threatening, controlling, or belittling from the caregiver, it is imperative that you take action quickly to prevent further mistreatment. Caregiver neglect can take on the form of leaving the senior resident alone in a public area, being unsuitably dressed for the weather, not providing bathing support, noticing odds changes of weight or dehydration, and failing to provide safe living conditions. Tragically, sexual abuse also can happen in nursing home care facilities. Please get authorities to intervene if you notice our senior loved one has unexplained genital infections or STDs, bruising around the breast or other sensitive areas, and stained or torn clothing. Due to the financial information some caregivers have access to, residents may become exploited. As our knowledgeable nursing home attorney explains, someone may be manipulating a resident’s finances if you notice the following:
- ATM withdrawals that the senior person could not have done themselves
- Missing cash from the elder’s room
- Sudden changes in life insurance policies, power of attorney, and titles or wills
- Adding names to the signature card on the senior’s credit cards
- Lack of medical care despite having the funds to afford it
- Unusual subscriptions, services, or goods that the resident could not have signed up for
- Unexplained withdrawals or transfers from the resident’s bank accounts
Cowan & Hilgeman
If you believe that your senior relative is being abused or neglected in their nursing home, please contact our team at Cowan & Hilgeman right away. It is so important to your loved one’s health to take swift action so no further incidents of mistreatment occur. Our OH nursing home attorney can speak with you more in-depth about the situation and then investigate further if needed. We are on your side and are ready to come to the aid of your loved one. Let us assist you by contacting us today.
