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3 Signs of a Negligent Nursing Home

The staff at a loved one’s nursing home exercises a significant amount of influence over your loved one’s life. If that staff opts to ignore your loved one’s needs, your family member’s health may rapidly start to decline.

You do not have to stand for the mistreatment of a loved one in a nursing home. Instead, watch for signs of nursing home negligence. The sooner you can step in to stop a negligent situation, the happier and healthier your loved one will be.

The Overlap Between Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Nursing home negligence and abuse have some significant overlap. Reckless neglect can constitute abuse in the eyes of the law. That said, there is a difference between active neglect and the negligence that comes with overwhelmed staff. Neither are acceptable, but it’s important to note the difference in motive.

Active neglect occurs when nursing home staff deliberately ignore your loved one’s health and mental well-being. This neglect can come alongside physical, mental, sexual, or financial abuse.

Comparatively, unintentional negligence can still see a sharp decline in your loved one’s health, but it’s not often malevolent. While you should still remove your loved one from a negligent home and file a legal complaint, your loved one shouldn’t have endured other forms of abuse.

Signs of Nursing Home Neglect

To protect your loved one from nursing home neglect, you need to keep an eye on your loved one’s overall well-being. Common signs of nursing home neglect include:

Physical Injuries and/or Waning Health

Loved ones who do not receive the attention they deserve while in a nursing home can begin to show signs of physical decline. The most common physical symptoms of negligence consist of:

  • Bedsores
  • Rapid weight loss
  • Decreased dental health
  • Decreased personal hygiene
  • Infections
  • Illnesses that last for longer than they should

These conditions tend to develop when your loved one cannot leave their room, let alone their bed. While regular visits can help keep your loved one on their feet, nursing home staff have an obligation to ensure that your loved one is in good health. Failure to uphold your loved one’s well-being opens a nursing home up to a civil suit.

Social Withdrawal

Keep a close eye on your loved one’s mood after moving them into a care facility. Social withdrawal, or the sudden desire to not communicate, can often indicate social neglect. Common signs of social withdrawal can include:

  • Decreased desire to talk with loved ones
  • Increased awkwardness in social situations
  • Social unawareness
  • Avoiding activities that they used to enjoy

If your loved one begins to withdraw from social situations, their physical health may also be in decline. Residents of nursing homes who don’t have opportunities to socialize may refuse to bathe, shower, or even eat.

A loved one who exhibits symptoms of social withdrawal may not receive the opportunities they need to leave their assigned rooms. Alternatively, nursing home staff members may fail to encourage or facilitate social interaction when taking your loved one out of their room. If you can observe these behaviors in action, you can use them as evidence of site-wide neglect.

Unusual Financial Activity

Depending on the nature of your loved one’s nursing home, they may receive a stipend to use on hobbies, snacks, and medication. If you notice odd purchases coming from your loved one’s account, nursing home staff members may be misusing your loved one’s available funds.

This behavior constitutes financial abuse. However, it can also suggest that your loved one isn’t receiving the medical or personal care that they deserve. You can bring unusual transactions to an attorney’s attention if you want to take legal action against a nursing home and its staff.

Address Nursing Home Negligence With an Experienced Attorney

Nursing home negligence puts your loved one’s health at risk. If you’re concerned about a loved one’s well-being, don’t wait to reach out for help. The attorneys with Dalli & Marino, LLP, can help you address nursing home abuse cases, starting by removing your loved one from a harmful situation.

Our nursing home abuse attorneys speak Spanish and English, making it easier for us to address all communities in need. For more information about our services, you can contact us online or at (888) 465-8790.


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