Nursing Home Injury Lawyer
Every year there are thousands of nursing home injury cases that involve victims experiencing physical and psychological abuse. As a nursing home injury lawyer can tell you, like one from Davis & Brusca, LLC, nursing home abuse and elder abuse can come in many different forms. It can be difficult to tell if abuse is happening, but knowing how to recognize the warning signs can help you take action sooner to protect your loved one. Here are some types of nursing home abuse that you should be aware of.
Bodily Injury
Many abuse cases involving nursing home staff at facilities may inflict bodily harm onto patients who are under their care. Caring for senior citizens can be a highly demanding and stressful job, which can cause staff members to become frustrated with patients. Many abuse cases occur because a staff member may strike patients out of anger, impatience, or frustration.
Sexual Assault
A percentage of nursing home abuse cases involve sexual assault. Senior citizens may be seen as easier victims to sexual assault predators. Nursing home abuse patients often have physical or mental disabilities, which make them difficult for them to fight back during an assault. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, as many as 2% of nursing home residents or their family members reported cases of sexual assault.
Psychological Abuse
Many nursing home residents are victims of psychological or emotional abuse. Elderly patients often have conditions such as dementia, anxiety, or experience memory loss, making them vulnerable to manipulation. Perpetrators may take advantage of nursing home residents’ fear of their abuser and their inability to stand up to them.
Financial Abuse
Some nursing home staff or perpetrators may commit financial abuse. Actions that fall under financial abuse include manipulating a resident to include them in their will, getting a resident to provide confidential bank information, or blackmailing. This is especially common if a perpetrator finds out that a nursing home resident is wealthy, or has a large or valuable estate.
Staying vigilant and informed about nursing home abuse can help you take the appropriate actions necessary to protect your elderly family members. Since nursing home abuse can present itself in many forms, it can be hard to recognize it as well as obtain the evidence to prove that it is happening. Reach out to a skilled nursing home injury lawyer to get the legal help that you need for your loved one now.
