Recognizing the Less Obvious Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

When we think of abuse that happens in nursing homes, we often think of the most obvious and grievous forms of abuse–the things that shock us when we see them on the news. But in real life, many forms of nursing home abuse and neglect are much more subtle, harder to spot, and families might not even know to look for them.

Looking for Hygiene

The lack of hygiene can be a big sign of nursing home neglect. It can be harmful for one of two reasons.

The first is obvious–lack of hygiene can turn into worse conditions. If a patient’s teeth aren’t brushed, for example, it can lead to serious dental problems. Lack of bathing or cleaning of hair, can also lead to health problems.

But lack of hygiene can also represent larger problems–if the nursing home staff isn’t bathing your loved one, what else are they not doing? They may not be giving necessary medications, or moving your loved one so he or she doesn’t develop bed sores. If your loved one is mobile, the lack of attention may lead to your relative trying to walk around on her own, which can easily lead to potentially deadly falls.

Falls

Falls present a special problem with mobile patients. Many may be mobile enough that they do not want to be strapped down or confined to a bed. But at the same time, moving about freely on their own can be dangerous. Staff should speak with family to develop a plan as to how mobile the family wants their loved one to be.

Abuse from Other Residents

We think everyone in a nursing home is bedridden, incapacitated and infirm, but that’s not always the case.

Many can walk up and around. And that means that nursing home residents can fall victim to other residents, whether from sexual abuse or other forms of physical abuse. Nursing home staff may not even be paying attention–but they do have an affirmative, absolute duty to protect residents from attacks, assaults, and other forms of violence, from fellow residents.

Small Bruises

Bruising can be easily dismissed by staff as being an accident–older, more infirm patients can easily bruise even from innocuous actions, like bumping into an object. But bruising may also indicate bigger problems–like mishandling or abuse.

Bruising on one part of the body may be an indication that there is bruising elsewhere on the body–including on private areas, that can signal sexual abuse.

Undetected Bed Sores

The most deadly killer in nursing homes is bed sores or decubitus ulcers. These ulcers often develop in private areas of the body, or areas that are covered by clothing or sheets on the bed.

Sadly, many patients are unable to express the pain that bed sores are causing them. This means that family can easily miss the initial signs of bed sores, when it is early enough to be caught before serious damage has happened.

Was your loved one injured in a nursing home? Schedule a consultation with our Tampa personal injury lawyers at Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian today for help.