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Request A Call HereIt can be difficult to recognize nursing home neglect because the signs are often confused with normal signs of aging. But negligent care can result in dangerous health complications, emotional distress, and death. It's important for us to recognize the signs of nursing home neglect before it's too late.
The desire to cut costs in a nursing home often results in severe understaffing, poorly trained workers and insufficient safety measures. Those common conditions, in turn, may result in neglect of the patients. Below is an outline of some key indicators to look for.
A common cause of neglect in nursing homes is the desire to cut costs. Often facilities are understaffed, causing patients to receive insufficient care or specialized attention. Neglect can be difficult to detect, so we have compiled a list of the different types of neglect, and warning signs they may be occurring.
Insufficient Medical Attention in Nursing HomesBed sores or open wounds are often a sign of neglect. Bed sores are easily prevented and treatment is straightforward too. The appearance of bedsores indicates the patient wasn't turned sufficiently to prevent wound formation. When bedsores progress into more serious stages, it indicates that treatment is either flawed or not being performed properly. Either situation may point to other medical attention being withheld.
A lack of personal hygiene is an unhealthy living condition that increases the likelihood for the patient to develop health complications such as bed sores or infections. When an elderly patient depends upon help from staff to perform daily hygiene practices, it's important to note any change in the level of care. Read the details about the effects of poor personal hygiene here. Recognizing poor hygienic conditions in a nursing home is highly important.
Unsafe conditions in a nursing home or assisted living facility put elderly adults are at higher risk of suffering a slip or trip and fall accident. It's much harder for the elderly to recover from these accidents than younger people. Falls caused by carelessly placed objects at an elderly care facility are legally found to be negligent care.
Unfortunately, not everyone who works in nursing homes or assisted living facilities has the patience or compassion to properly attend to the emotional needs of the residents. Feelings of isolation and depression can develop in patients whose emotional needs are neglected. The resulting damage can be just as severe as direct physical abuse.
When a loved one exhibits any of the signs of neglect above, it's cause for greater inquiry. Negligence that's recognized in the early stages can be stopped before it results in more serious health issues. Fast action is required to stop and to preserve the evidence of neglect, and we can help by filing a nursing home neglect lawsuit.
The New York nursing home abuse attorneys at Banville Law have pursued cases of elder abuse and neglect for years, and we are highly skilled in recognizing the early signs. If you would like to restore the well-being of a loved one, contact us now.
