Category: Nursing Home Abuse

We trust nursing home facilities and their workers with our most vulnerable loved ones. It is a tragedy that, with almost two million Americans living in nursing home and other long term care facilities, nursing home abuse and neglect continues to be a problem. Nursing home abuse is considered to be the intentional infliction of injury that results in physical harm or mental anguish for a nursing home resident. Nursing home neglect, on the other hand, is an intentional or unintentional failure to provide a nursing home resident with the necessary care and services to prevent them from suffering harm. It hurts the heart to think that any number of vulnerable Americans are suffering such mistreatment. All too often, it goes unnoticed or unreported. To help ensure your loved one or other nursing home residents do not continue to suffer in silence and to prevent future nursing home mistreatment, it is important to be aware of the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect. These things will often go unreported by the abuse or neglect victim and so it falls to others to bring it to light.

Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

When visiting a nursing home, there will be a number of red flags to look for to see if there are any signs of abuse or neglect. Sometimes, the result of the abuse or neglect can come in the way of physical signs of abuse. Pressure ulcers, or “bed sores,” are commonly known signs of nursing home neglect. You may also see other bed related injuries. A resident may have an infection, or have experienced a fracture or head injury. These can also be signs of nursing home abuse or neglect.

You may also see signs of a nursing home resident suffering form dehydration. They may look malnourished. In fact, sudden changes in weight, whether it be weight gain or weight loss, can be a major telltale sign of nursing home neglect. The facility itself may also look unsanitary or otherwise unclear.

In addition to physical signs of abuse and neglect, there may also be emotional signs of these things. Does the resident seem agitated or upset? Are they more withdrawn than usually? These can be signs of abuse and neglect. A reluctance to speak in the presence of nursing home staff can also be a warning sign as can instances of the residence wandering off. Changes in behavior and wanting to remain isolated can also be telltale signs of nursing home abuse or neglect.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys

It is heartbreaking to think of the abuse and neglect that may be going on in nursing homes across the country. It is up to all of us to remain informed of what this might look like and speak out accordingly. The team at Cooper, Schall & Levy fights against such deplorable treatment of nursing home residents. We fight to hold abusers accountable and for victims to be properly compensated.  Contact us today.

It has been an unprecedented year in so many ways. The COVID-19 crisis has had its own impact on each and every one of us. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you may not have been able to see them, let alone visit them, for many months. While some facilities have eased restrictions as of late, many have not and there is still the possibility that the facilities will lockdown once again. 

While the restrictions are in place to protect one of the most vulnerable populations in this pandemic, there are other potential risks. For instance, the possibility of nursing home abuse or neglect has never been greater. Without public accountability, facilities can get away with much more than they may have been able to before lockdowns. Here, we will discuss how you can check in on your loved one in a nursing home while maintaining social distancing protocol.

I’m Social Distancing. How Can I Check for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect?

Nursing home abuse and neglect have been a huge issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Abusers tend to thrive when victims are isolated. Nursing home residents have been isolated like never before with the persistence of the coronavirus pandemic. There are, however, ways that you can check in on your loved one while still maintaining CDC-approved social distancing measures.

For instance, using technology can be a great way to check in on a nursing home resident. Facetime, Zoom, and other online conferencing solutions can help you see and hear your loved one without the need to be in person. During your video chats, look for signs that your loved one has not been properly cared for. Do they look disheveled or like they have not showered or groomed for some time? Have they lost a significant amount of weight? Are there any unexplained bruises or other injuries? These can all be signs of abuse or neglect.

You should also be mindful of any substantial changes in mood or personality. While the isolation itself may be enough to make someone anxious or depressed, it may also be a sign of abuse or neglect. Ask your loved ones how they have been feeling and why they have been feeling a certain way to investigate things further.

Sometimes, technology does not work out. If this is the case, consider driving by the nursing home facility. If restrictions have eased, consider arranging an in-person visit with your loved one, but be prepared to comply with strict safety measures at the facility, such as staying outdoors, always wearing a mask, and frequently washing or sanitizing hands. If the facility has yet to open up to the public, consider stopping by outside your loved one’s window for a friendly wave and to get a look at them in person.

Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys

Do you have a loved one you fear may be the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect? Talk to the dedicated attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy to talk about how to proceed. Contact us today.

Older Americans are a particularly vulnerable population. Elder abuse and neglect have gained growing national attention and concern. It is disconcerting to think that nursing home workers, those tasked with taking care of our elderly loved ones, are often underpaid, overworked, and receive inadequate training. Facilities will try to cut corners in an attempt to maximize profit and the residents are often the ones that suffer as a result. These are the kinds of conditions that can lead to abuse and neglect of nursing home residents. Unfortunately, elderly people are often unable or unwilling to report abuse or neglect. This is why it makes it extra important that everyone remains aware of the signs of potential nursing home abuse or neglect.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

With so many nursing home abuse and neglect cases going unreported, often due to a failure to recognize the problem or a failure to report the problem, it is critical that those of us with loved ones in these types of facilities be mindful of potential problem signs.

Some of the more common signs of abuse and neglect in a nursing home include:

• Bed injuries (including asphyxiation)
• Signs of dehydration (including cracked lips, dry mouth, and swollen tongue)
• Poor personal hygiene
• Unsanitary conditions
• Signs of malnutrition (including rapid weight loss)
• Pressure ulcers (more commonly known as “bed sores”)
• Open wounds
• Urinary tract infections
• Wound infections
• Unexplained physical injuries (including welts, cuts, and bruises)
• Falls
• Fractures
• Head injuries
• Emotional agitation (including being more withdrawn and non-communicative)
• Hesitant to speak in the presence of staff member
• Staff members’ unwillingness to leave you alone with the resident
• Depression (including lack of interest in favorite activities)
• Being prevented from visiting a resident
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Changes in behavior
• Unexplained death of a resident

Additionally, if your loved one seems more confused or drowsy than usual, this can be a sign of him or her being improperly medicated. This can be an exceptionally dangerous form of abuse. Furthermore, if your loved one seems to have more limited mobility than usual or is having more difficulty getting around, it can be a sign that he or she has not been engaging in daily walking or exercise programs to support continued physical health.

In sum, be mindful of any physical, mental, or emotional changes in your elderly relative or loved one. While these changes may just come with the aging process, sometimes they are not. Sometimes they are due to abuse or neglect happening in the nursing home facility.

Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorneys

Your older relatives may continue to depend on you to keep them safe and supported even when they are in a long term care facility. You can help them from being further victimized by abuse and neglect by looking for the signs mentioned here. If you suspect a loved one has been the victim of abuse or neglect in a nursing home, it can be a very delicate situation. Talk to the dedicated attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy. We can help evaluate the situation to try and keep your loved one safe and enforce his or her legal rights. Contact us today.

We trust nursing homes with the care of our most vulnerable loved ones. Nursing home care is supposed to provide us with peace of mind knowing that proper care is being provided to those that really need it. It is devastating when you hear that the people and facilities you have trusted to care for your loved ones have failed to do so and they have suffered as a result. One of the most common telltale signs that a nursing home resident has been the victim of negligent care is when bed sores appear.

What are bed sores?

A bed sore, also referred to as a pressure sore or pressure ulcer, is a medical condition that develops in a person, usually a hospital patient or nursing home resident, when a sore develops on the skin due to the pressure of the mattress and bedclothes on their often extremely fragile skin. Those who are confined to their beds and unable to adjust or move themselves, must be frequently moved. If not, the consistent, unrelenting pressure will cause bed sores to develop. Once a bed sore develops, it is critical that it is properly treated right away to prevent further complications from arising.

When bed sores develop, they are usually in the following areas:

• Hips
• Buttocks
• Lower back
• Tailbone
• Ankle
• Heel
• Foot

These are all areas that receive constant pressure when a patient is either seated or lying down for long periods of time.

Bed sores are usually the result of facility staff members failing to move a patient a minimum of once every two hours. If pressure-relieving mattresses are not provided, bed sores can develop fast. Additionally, the staff can work to prevent a bed sore from developing by providing cushions to relieve some of the pressure, as well as changing the residents’ clothes and bedsheets in order to reduce any moisture buildup that can act as a catalyst for the development of bed sores.

Bed sores that are not yet fully developed can be identified early on if staff members inspect a patient’s body for any signs of redness. If identified early, the worsening of the bed sore is easily preventable. If the bed sore is not immediately identified and treated, it can quickly worsen, leading to infection and other serious health complications.

Nursing Home Negligence Attorneys

A bed sore should never be something a nursing home resident suffers from if he or she is being properly cared for. Bed sores are wholly preventable. They are a telltale sign that the nursing home resident has been the victim of prolonged periods of sitting or lying down without anyone helping them shift to relieve the constant pressure. If you have a loved one who is in a nursing home and has suffered from bed sores, it is likely that he or she is a victim of nursing home negligence. Bed sores occur when someone is failing to do their job. The nursing home negligence attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy are here to hold these people accountable for the damage their negligence has caused. Contact us today.