Nursing Home Abuse Awareness – Signs of Abuse and Neglect
Nursing home abuse awareness is an essential step in stopping abuse and neglect in Pennsylvania nursing homes. Calling attention to nursing home abuse can help prevent other patients from being abused. Filing lawsuits against nursing homes and individuals responsible for elder abuse and neglect calls attention to the problem. However, it can be challenging to spot the signs of abuse and neglect.
Raising Nursing Home Abuse Awareness
Most nursing home residents are unable or unwilling to report abuse or neglect. Their mental or physical conditions prevent them from speaking up, or they are afraid of saying something and being punished.
Unfortunately, nursing home abuse can go undetected. Staff members know which patients have families who visit them regularly and the patients abandoned by their family members. They may choose patients to abuse or neglect that have no one to check on them.
Therefore, it is crucial to raise nursing home abuse awareness for anyone who walks into the nursing home. Whether you are there visiting a family member, delivering goods, or performing cleaning services, you can be the person who calls attention to elder abuse.
Signs and symptoms of elder abuse and neglect :
- Bruises, scrapes, and cuts
- Broken bones and fractures
- Poor hygiene
- Weight loss and malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Patients fearful of staff members
- Unsanitary conditions
- Patients strapped to beds or chairs
- Patients crying or begging for help
- Staff members yelling at or verbally abusing patients
- Bedsores
If you notice any signs of elder abuse or neglect, report the abuse immediately. If the person is at immediate risk of harm, call 911. You can also file complaints with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. You may also call the local Department of Social Services.
The important thing is to take action. Report the suspected abuse. If no one speaks up, elderly patients in nursing homes will continue to be injured and killed because of abuse and neglect.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim For Abuse in a Nursing Facility
Family members can consult with our Erie nursing home abuse attorney about filing a lawsuit against the facility and the individuals responsible for the abuse. The nursing home may face fines and penalties from the state. One or more people could be arrested for the abuse. However, those actions are separate from a civil suit.
A civil suit can result in compensation for:
- Medical bills and expenses
- Personal care
- Physical pain and suffering
- Permanent impairments
- Mental trauma
- Emotional distress
- Cost of relocation to another nursing facility
A monetary award does not undo the pain and suffering your loved one experienced because of elder abuse. However, it can provide the funds needed to provide care for your loved one. Filing a civil suit also raises nursing home abuse awareness by shining a bright light on the abuse that occurred in the facility.
Call an Erie Nursing Home Abuse Attorney for a Free Consultation
Our legal team works with your family to gather evidence necessary to prove the nursing home is responsible for your loved one’s abuse. Call (800) 401-2066 now to schedule your free legal consultation to meet with a nursing home abuse lawyer in Erie, PA.