5 Signs of Elder Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Homes

Moving a loved one into a nursing home or assisted living center is not an easy decision to make. You trust the healthcare professionals in these institutions to provide quality care for your family member as they struggle with advanced aging. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect are extremely common in the U.S. Our nursing home abuse lawyer in Prescott hopes you’ll watch for these warning signs of elder abuse:

1. Varying stages of bedsores and infections. If nursing home employees fail to provide consistent care for your loved one, you may notice bedsores, infections and sepsis. These issues can lead to severe health concerns if left untreated including wrongful death.
2. Unexplained weight loss. This is a sign of malnutrition and makes the elderly person more susceptible to infection, pneumonia and falls.
3. Bruises and other unexplained injuries. Nursing home abuse can be inflicted on elderly residents by staff members or other patients. It’s also not uncommon for nursing home residents to be subjected to sexual abuse.
4. Sudden mood swings. Your loved one may refrain from speaking in front of the staff and have violent outbursts. Residents may be afraid of telling visitors about the abuse for fear of retaliation.
5. Poor communication from the nursing home. Staff members, and even administrators, have been known to use excuses to prevent families from seeing their loved ones or from being alone with them.

Nursing home abuse is more common than you may realize, and most facilities are not required to disclose previous lawsuits or accusations of abuse or neglect.

If you suspect your family member is being harmed or neglected in their nursing home, please call Jensen Phelan Law Firm, P.C. in Prescott today at 928-778-2660 to schedule your free consultation. Our lawyer serves clients in Prescott, Prescott Valley and surrounding areas of Arizona.