Helping your parent find a nursing home to move into is a challenging prospect. No adult child wants to think of parent as needing the help that would require moving into one of these facilities. Once you have vetted possibilities then decided on a place, you will probably come to terms with your decision.
When you go to see your parent, you start to think that something is amiss. You might not be able to put your finger on it but it just isn’t right. Don’t ignore those feelings. Nursing home abuse is a problem for many nursing home residents.
Not all abuse is physical
Physical abuse might be the easiest form of nursing home abuse to notice because of the bruises and other outward injuries. Other forms of nursing home abuse aren’t as easy to spot. Emotional abuse, for example, can sometimes mimic dementia. This makes it difficult to determine that your parent isn’t being cared for properly. Sexual abuse, health care abuse, financial abuse, neglect, and similar forms of abuse are all possible.
Signs of abuse vary
Some of the signs of abuse you should watch for include your parent being withdrawn, not seeming to enjoy the things that were previously favored, weight loss, frequent accidents, or money and assets missing.
You might notice that your parent isn’t always cleaned and dressed appropriately. Personal hygiene might suffer. The room might not be clean. Bedsores, malnutrition, and dehydration are possible. In some cases, your parent might not get necessary medications or medical care that is necessary.
Unexpected changes in the will, an increase in product orders or subscriptions, and added people on bank accounts or signature cards could signal financial abuse.
Compensation is often possible
If your parent is neglected or abused at a nursing home, seeking compensation might be in order. This compensation could help to provide the financial backing necessary to move your parent, get necessary medical care, and help your parent through the emotional turmoil caused by the abuse.
When you opt to seek compensation, it is necessary to show that there was loss from the abuse. It is possible to seek compensation for emotional damages and physical injuries. The emotional losses could be caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, fear of being abused again, or self-blame. Medical conditions, bedsores, broken bones, and similar injuries could worsen physical injuries.