Elder Neglect: What Signs to Look For!
There comes a certain point in our elderly loved one’s lives where they can no longer care for themselves the way that they once could. This is why families are eventually tasked with making the tough choice of placing their family member into a retirement home, an assisted living facility, or sadly, even into hospice.
Places such as these are able to provide the elderly community with the round-the-clock care that they may need. Doctors, nurses, medicine, everything is on-site for them and can certainly help prolong their lives. With that said, one factor that is often overlooked is standards of care.
While most of these facilities take the time to properly care for anyone that walks through their doors, there will always be some locations that don’t – and, that leads to the residents feeling and becoming physically and emotionally abused and neglected.
Knowing the signs of elder neglect and abuse can help your loved one escape unsafe behavior, and can help you ultimately determine which one of these homes is best suited to help your family member!
What is Elder Neglect?
Elder Neglect can be present in many different forms, but it’s most commonly shown when a caretaker abruptly stops upholding their duties. It can be as simple as leaving a resident in bed through the entire day, or it can be as complex as mentally and emotionally manipulating any of the people that they care for, capitalizing on them for personal gain.
One incredibly sad aspect of elder neglect is that when it’s taking place, your loved one may feel scared or nervous to tell you or admit it due to fear or possibly even shame. One way to pick up on elder neglect is to pay attention to other residents as well, in the hallway, in the dining area – this is always a telltale sign of uncovering neglect in a nursing home/retirement home.
What Signs Should I Look For?
According to the APA, there are seven clear signs of elder neglect/abuse, they are:
- Physical Abuse
- Sexual Abuse
- Emotional Abuse
- Financial and/or Material Abuse
- Overall Neglect
- Abandonment
- Self-Neglect
In 2005, the National Center on Elder Abuse released research that suggested that 1 to 2 million Americans who were age 65 or older have been abused or neglected by the caretakers put in place to look after them. Sadly, the majority of elder neglect and abuse victims are female, while males are most commonly the offender. Another characteristic that these predators look for in their future victims are folks who have no family or friends close to the facility itself – they also look for those with physical disabilities, memory problems/dementia.
What Can Our Family Do About It?
- If you believe that your loved one is being neglected or abused, the first thing that you should do is take them home right away, if you can.
- If for some reason that is not possible, you should call your local police department and ask them to investigate the situation properly.
The next step after this would be reaching out to a personal injury attorney to start properly documenting what is occurring, and building the solid foundation needed to defend and represent your loved one in court.
At Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban, our attorneys are proud to work for you and your loved ones, providing your family with high-quality legal assistance, striving to provide you with the justice and compensation that you deserve. If a retirement home/nursing home has violated and broken the trust that you and your family placed in them, call us today! (855) 435-7247.
Call MRSB and Schedule a Free Consultation with Our SSDI Attorneys!
If you or someone you love is in need of help regarding Nursing Home Abuse and elder neglect benefits anywhere in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia, Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban may be able to help.
Call us today at (855) 435-7247 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
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