Nursing home abuse is a serious problem that thousands of people deal with each year in Wisconsin. The decision to move a loved one into a nursing home is difficult enough for adult children; it can be even more difficult knowing that the staff, nurses, and doctors could be abusing their loved one. Today, we will take a look at the signs of nursing home abuse so you know what to be on the lookout for when it comes to your loved one.
Lack of Nourishment
One of the most common signs of nursing home abuse is lack of nourishment. This comes in the form of having meals and drink withheld from a patient. Patients should be fed every day and it should be done based on the diet that is assigned to them by their doctor. Dehydration can set in, your loved one could lose weight, and illness can develop that can lead to death in the most tragic of cases.
Inadequate Staff
If the staff seems to be inadequate, it is highly likely that they really are inadequate. Having your loved one in a nursing home that employs an inadequately trained staff can lead to a lot of problems. When staff members are inadequately trained or there are just not enough of them, they will have trouble caring for their patients, might forget to give them their pills, could forget to feed them and might even not make time to bathe the patient, which can lead to bed sores.
Questions That are Deflected
When you visit a loved one in the nursing home and have questions for staff members, a strong staff will answer those questions without hesitation. If they do not have the answer, they will do everything in their power to get an answer in a timely manner. If your questions are deflected by staff members, it is either because they are inadequate or because they are trying to hide issues occurring in the nursing home.
Emotional Changes
Each time you visit a loved one in the nursing home, you need to monitor their emotions. If you notice emotional changes that were not present the last time you visited, you could be dealing with nursing home abuse. Some emotional signs to look for include becoming more reserved than normal, refusing to take part in activities with other patients, no longer communicating with staff, and becoming withdrawn.
Unexplained Bruises
Have you noticed unexplained bruises on your loved one? These bruises could have been caused by the staff inadvertently or on purpose. For example, staff members might be handling your loved one too violently when moving him or her in and out of bed. They might be hitting your loved one. They might be restraining your loved one in bed. All of these are signs that abuse is present.
An Experienced Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
Do you believe that your loved one has been abused in a nursing home? If any of the signs described in this post are present in your loved one’s life, it is time to discuss the situation with a personal injury attorney. Contact the team at Moen Sheehan Meyer, Ltd. today in La Crosse at 608-784-8310 to schedule an appointment.