How To Identify Nursing Home Abuse

Making the decision to place an elderly family member in a nursing home is never easy. If you do choose a facility, you of course expect it to be efficient, well run and safe and assume that your loved one will be treated well. Most of the approximately 16,000 nursing homes in the US are well run and they employ dedicated and reliable staff, although unfortunately nursing home abuse does occur. It can also be surprisingly difficult to identify and verify and only about 20 percent of cases actually get reported.

When choosing a nursing home, you will want to visit the facility before making a firm decision and just about every facility will give you a guided tour. There are certain 'red flags' that you should look for to try to determine signs of abuse in a nursing home. Signs of physical abuse are perhaps easiest to spot; these can include bruising, wounds or cuts, or lingering illnesses or injuries.

Residents who are forced to remain in their rooms for a long period of time should be a warning, as should any signs of residents fighting with each other. Look for unusual behavior such as rocking, nail biting or hugging oneself. If you get the chance, observe the staff interacting with a patient; the patient should appear to be relaxed and at ease when being cared for.

You should also look for an appropriate ratio of patients to staff, which is regulated by law and designed to ensure that patients are adequately cared for. It is estimated that as many as 50 percent of homes are short staffed, which of course means that patients are not being cared for. The work is also often demanding and unpleasant, leading to a high turnover of staff. Financial exploitation is also surprisingly common in some nursing homes, as of course many older people have little or no idea how much money they have.

It can also be surprisingly difficult to differentiate between actual abuse and neglect, the big difference is that neglect is generally unintentional and is more common than deliberate abuse. Many employees are simply over worked; in some cases, they have not received adequate training. Although most nursing home employees are caring and responsible, some see the job simply as a means to a paycheck and tend to neglect their patients, often without meaning to. In a nursing home, all accidents and injuries, however minor, must be investigated and reported and all too often, this does not happen.

If you do suspect signs of nursing home abuse, your first step should be to talk to the administrator, followed by your local authority. You also have the legal right to see a copy of the most recent report on the facility. In extreme cases, you may have to consult with an attorney, preferably one experienced and knowledgeable in this area. Of course, you can also talk to your loved one, although sadly many residents are unwilling or unable to identify abuse and talk about it.