Wilkes-Barre Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect Lawyer
Making the decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is extremely difficult. Once that decision is made, loved ones of the elder hope that their family member will receive proper care and that all of their needs will be met. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Too often, staff members in nursing homes abuse or neglect their residents, and elders suffer great harm as a result.
Elders often don’t come forward with the abuse because they are embarrassed by it, or they don’t have the capacity to understand that the abuse is happening. It’s for this reason family members should know how to identify signs of abuse, and what to do if they are spotted. A Wilkes-Barre nursing home abuse & neglect lawyer can help make things right if you suspect your loved one is the victim of neglect or abuse.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Sadly, there are many types of nursing home abuse. The most common include:
- Physical abuse: This is often the first type of abuse many people think of upon hearing of nursing home abuse. This type of abuse can include hitting, pushing, slapping, shoving, and any other behavior that is rough or violent.
- Sexual abuse: Sexual harassment and unwanted or forced sexual touching is considered sexual abuse.
- Psychological abuse: Nursing home staff members might humiliate or belittle an elder, or keep them from socializing with other residents in the nursing home. These are all types of psychological abuse.
- Financial abuse: Nursing home staff members can exploit elderly individuals financially. This could include stealing from them, or they may manipulate an elder into giving them money or signing checks over to staff members.
- Neglect: Nursing home staff members don’t always have to act in an abusive manner for their behavior to be considered abusive. When staff members ignore elders or don’t tend to all of their needs, it is considered neglect and is another form of abuse.
It’s important that loved ones can spot these types of abuse so they can report it and take the necessary steps to stop it from happening.
How to Spot Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
It’s crucial that family members know how to identify the signs of nursing home abuse. Elders often can’t or won’t speak up for themselves and so, it is up to their loved ones to do it for them. Some of the most common signs to watch for include:
- Cuts, sprains, broken bones that are unexplained
- Bedsores
- Genital infections or venereal disease that cannot be explained
- Sudden changes in the elder’s mood or behavior
- Staff members that are reluctant to let family visit
- Staff members that refuse to allow the elder to be alone with their visitors
- Residents that are over-medicated
- Possessions of the elder’s suddenly go missing
- Sudden changes in the elder’s finances that are not explained
When any of these signs are observed by family members, they should speak to a nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible.
Call Our Pennsylvania Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Now
If you suspect that your loved one is being abused by the people that are supposed to protect and help them, call our Wilkes-Barre nursing home abuse lawyers now. At O’Donnell Law Offices, we know how upsetting nursing home abuse is and we want to help you make it right. We will hold nursing homes and their staff members accountable and help your loved one pursue any compensation they deserve. Call us today at 570-821-5717 to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.
