How to Recognize Signs of Neglect in a Nursing Home

So your family member, loved one, friend is in a Nursing Home and you are paying a visit? You have put all of your faith and trust into the facility and assume that they will take good care of your Mum/Dad/Relative/Friend but you start to see some signs that alarm you.

How To Recognize Signs of Neglect in a Nursing Home

When the time comes for your loved one to enter into a Aged Care Home you are giving the facility the trust that they will look after your family member the way you would - with love, respect, kindness, caring, and embracing them as a person with feelings. So it will be upsetting to see that the chosen facility is not meeting your standard of care, or even the minimum level of care that all Nursing Homes are expected to meet according to the Aged Care Accreditation team. But do you really know How To Recognize Signs Of Neglect In A Nursing Home?

Aged Care Nursing Homes Care and Services

Each Aged Care facility has to give a level of care according to the Accreditation Standards to receive Government funding. This Aged Care Standards cover such things as health, personal care, lifestyle, safety and quality of buildings and surroundings, and even ensures that the management team fall in line. Once the Home is awarded the accreditation then each year they must go through checks and pass all test to up keep their awards and funding.

If you start to Recognize Signs of Neglect in a Nursing Home that your loved one is living in then you are able to step in a take the matter further by going to The Aged Care Complaints Resolution Scheme. It is best that you first try to resolve the matter within the Facility but if you feel like the neglect is still occurring and is not resolved then taking the matter is in the best interest of the Resident/your loved one. For more information about Aged Care in Nursing Homes go here.

7 Signs Of Neglect In A Nursing Home:

1. You are visiting your loved one the second time that week and you notice that the resident is still sitting by themselves and have no buzzer near by, nor a drink within reach


2. Your family member is wet upon you arriving with incontinence of urine, and no carer is aware of your loved one being left to sit in their own urine


3. The room your loved one in has a bed that is not made, covered in urine and faeces and smells stale


4. Upon arrival of entering the facility you notice a smell that goes from room to room


5. The bins of rubbish and linen have not been emptied and are sitting in the corridor and its late afternoon.


6. You loved one has come up in a few bruises and there is no explanation for them


7. After hugging your loved one you notice that they have lost a fair bit of weight, and you start to ask questions but no one has noticed that your loved one is not eating... therefore losing weight.

If you feel like the neglect is dangerous for your loved ones safety then you need to discuss the situation immediately. Even if you suspect that their has been an elder abuse situation then you need to contact the police. It is better to known exactly what has happened then to ignore and find out later that there was a dangerous situation that could have been reported and prevented from occurring again. There more ways to Recognize Signs of Neglect in A Nursing Home - with in many departments.