Making the choice to put your parents or older relatives in an elder care facility is not an easy one. If you choose to make that difficult decision, you should be able to rest easy knowing that they are well taken care of. However, this is not always the case.

1 in 10 nursing home residents experience some form of abuse in the US. Because of this, you should regularly monitor the conditions of your relatives who live in care homes. Having the assistance of a lawyer can help you know more about nursing home abuse and decide on a course of action if you think someone you know is facing abuse.

5 telltale signs of nursing home abuse

Elder abuse is defined as the “intentional or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or poses a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult.”

Here is a list of the most common signs of elder abuse at care facilities. Keeping an eye out for these signs can help prevent abuse and may even save the lives of your elderly family members.

Changes in behavior

When someone faces abuse, often the first sign is a change in behavior, a withdrawal from their surroundings. If you notice drastic behavioral changes in your elderly relatives, this could be a cause for concern.

They may withdraw from social activities or lose interest in their favorite hobbies. If they are being isolated by the caregiver, this can be detrimental to their health. If the caregiver is neglectful, demeaning, or aggressive in their behavior, this constitutes abuse.

An elder care facility or a caregiver can be sued for elder abuse for failure to provide adequate care to a resident. Penalties could involve jail time or result in a criminal record, depending on the severity of their actions.

Deteriorating living conditions

Another common sign of abuse is deteriorating living conditions. While visiting relatives at an elder care facility, if you notice a sudden change in their surroundings, like unwashed bed linen or dirty laundry, this is a sign of negligence.

The care facility is responsible for ensuring its residents are well looked after and maintaining a standard of cleanliness on its premises. If it fails to do so, it can be sued for elder abuse. Every state has helplines and representatives to deal with elder abuse cases, whom you can contact to report your situation.

Sudden physical injuries

If you notice any strange bruises or unexplained physical injuries, this may be a sign of physical abuse at the care home. While it is not uncommon for older adults to trip and hurt themselves, if the facility did not duly inform you of the incident and has no reasonable explanation for the injuries, they can be held liable for abuse or neglect.

Possible injuries include cuts, bruises, fractures, or head injuries. Unexplained injuries could mean that your relative was pushed or roughly handled by a caregiver.

Unpaid bills

As the elder care facility is in charge of its residents’ finances, there are plenty of chances for financial exploitation to occur. These are some indications of abuse:

• Unpaid bills
• Disappearing property
• Unexpected changes to wills

If you notice any of these signs, it could mean a caregiver is illegally using your relative’s finances for personal gain. This is considered financial abuse and punishable by law.

All states have strict elder abuse laws in place, which could result in felonies or misdemeanors, depending on the severity of the crime.

Unnecessary healthcare expenses

Another type of financial exploitation is the illegal use of funds to procure equipment that is not needed or bill treatments that never actually happen. Here are some common signs of healthcare fraud that could occur:

• Unexplained need for healthcare equipment
• Excessive or unnecessary testing
• Payments made to healthcare providers that were not approved

Several laws protect the rights of elderly people in the US, including the Elder Justice Act and the Nursing Home Reform Act. If you suspect abuse, you should report the facility to law enforcement and file a lawsuit against it for negligence with the assistance of a lawyer.

Conclusion

To summarize, nursing homes and elder care facilities can be lifesavers for some. Unfortunately, elder abuse has become widespread in the US. Despite this bleak statistic, there are steps you can take to protect your loved ones from harm. If you suspect that someone you know is being abused at a care facility, you should remove them from the facility immediately and consult a qualified lawyer.