Leaving your elderly loved one in the care of a nursing home or healthcare facility may not be your or your loved one’s preferred choice, but it may be the only choice. You want to trust that a nursing home and healthcare facility will have your loved one’s best interest in mind.
However, this doesn’t always happen. Many elderly people are abused in nursing homes. This can create a lot of difficulties, especially when a nursing home or healthcare facility was meant to help an elderly person recover from a medical condition or injury. Nursing home abuse isn’t always obvious. If you believe that your elderly loved one is suffering from abuse, you may need to ask the following questions:
Has your elderly loved one’s mood changed?
It’s often typically for an elderly loved one’s mood to change somewhat after being relocated to a nursing home. The atmosphere is different, it may not have the same people an elderly person knows and it leaves an elderly person without the freedom they may be used to, but it’s for the best. However, if an elderly loved one’s mood changes drastically, such as if they become reserved or depressed, then there could be issues with the nursing home. An elderly loved one’s mood can greatly signify that they are not being treated well by staff.
Did you find bruises, cuts or burns on your elderly loved one?
As your elderly loved one stays in a nursing home or healthcare facility, they shouldn’t have any unexplainable injuries. For example, an elderly person may suffer from bruises and cuts if they fall over. But, if there are repeated injuries, then it could be a sign of physical abuse. Another example of an unexplainable injury could be burns. Many nursing homes don’t give residents access to equipment that may cause burns. A burn could be a clear sign that something is wrong.
There are many questions you could ask if you fear your elderly loved one is suffering from abuse. For example, does your elderly loved one have bedsores? Or, is your elderly loved one missing valuables? Discovering the answer to these questions can be shocking. Knowing your legal rights after getting your answer may be important to your elderly loved one’s safety.