Look out for many signs and symptoms if you suspect that your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect.
Some of the most common telltale signs of nursing home abuse and neglect include:
- Mood swings – Especially in cases when a staff member or another resident physically or sexually abuses a nursing home resident, the patient may exhibit severe mood swings. If the resident never experienced these mood swings in the past, it may be a sign of nursing home abuse or neglect.
- Sudden lack of social interaction – When a loved one who was formerly upbeat suddenly takes a nosedive out of life and loses interest in activities that used to be enjoyable for them, this could be a sign of nursing home abuse or neglect that you need to investigate.
- Marks and bruises on the resident’s body – When a nursing home resident has lacerations, cuts, bruises, sores, or other injuries on their body, this could signal that the resident suffers from physical abuse or neglect while in the nursing facility.
- Bedsores – Bedsores, which are also commonly known as pressure ulcers, are often signs of uncleanliness at a nursing facility. They could be a sign that the patient was not properly bathed or regularly turned. These pressure ulcers are especially common among nursing home patients permanently confined to a bed or wheelchair and who must sit in one place for long periods of time.
- Unpleasant smells – Unpleasant smells surrounding the patient, in the patient’s room, or the patient’s bathroom, could be a sign that the nursing home is not regularly maintained properly or cleaned.
- More frequent illness – When a nursing home resident suddenly starts to become ill more frequently than they ever did before, this may be a sign of uncleanliness at the nursing home. When the staff does not clean nursing home bedrooms, restrooms, and common areas regularly, germs can spread more frequently, causing nursing home residents to become sick more often.
If you notice any of these signs or symptoms when visiting your loved one in a nursing home, neglect or abuse could be taking place. The experienced Atlanta nursing home negligence lawyers at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC can assist you with investigating what is going on and, if necessary, filing a complaint with the state or with the courts.
