Unfortunately, there are many different types of nursing home abuse, and you’ll need to recognize the signs if you hope to help your loved one escape such abuse. Continue reading to learn more about the most common signs that someone you love may be suffering from nursing home abuse.
Physical Injuries
Arguably the most common sign of nursing home abuse is the presence of physical injuries. If you happen to notice that your relative has unexplained bruising, burns, cuts, or bone breaks; signs of neglect, such as bedsores or improper hygiene; or other types of injuries, you may want to look into the possibility of nursing home abuse.
Remember, if your loved one is being abused, they may be afraid of their abuser and unwilling to discuss what they are going through. It’s up to you as their family member to be compassionate and understanding while working to ensure that they are safe at all times.
Compromised Finances
Not all types of nursing home abuse are on display like physical injuries are. In fact, one of the most common types of nursing home abuse is financial abuse.
If you begin to notice that your family member is missing money, had a sudden change in their power of attorney, has been spending money without explanation, has had checks go missing, or you otherwise notice that their finances have been compromised, it would make sense to reason that something suspicious is going on with their finances.
If no one but the healthcare providers in the nursing home facility has access to your loved one’s finances, it’s safe to assume that they had something to do with it. You may want to reach out to your nursing home abuse lawyer in Lakeland before bringing this to the attention of the nursing home facility.
Emotional and Personality Changes
Psychological and emotional abuse are some of the dangerous ways that a family member can be abused in a nursing home environment. If you notice unexplained weight loss or gain, signs of depression or anxiety, social isolation, personality changes, self-harm, or substance abuse, it is quite possible that your loved one is being subjected to emotional or psychological abuse.
Such types of abuse are often a very sensitive subject for victims, so you may need to tread carefully and try to be there for them as much as possible while you work to uncover what they have been going through.
Meet with a Lakeland Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
If you are interested in learning more about how a qualified Lakeland nursing home abuse lawyer at Lopez & Humphries, PA could help you with your claim on behalf of an abused loved one, give our office a call at (863) 774-3573 or complete the quick contact form provided below to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.