There
are various types, signs, and degrees of nursing
home neglect and elderly abuse.
General
Nursing Home Neglect
General nursing home neglect by staff or the individual
who has custody of an elder is the most prevalent
type of elderly abuse. Nursing home neglect occurs
when any associated nursing home staff or related
healthcare professional does not fulfill their
stated duty to a resident. This includes general
care, taking them to the restroom, financial neglect
(not paying bills). Most serious types of nursing
home neglect include not providing proper necessities
such as food, water, shelter, hygiene, medicine,
safety, and other items that are reasonably understood
to be necessary for living. This elderly abuse
can include:
Failure
to assist in providing adequate personal hygiene
or clothing
Failure
to provide proper medical care, medicine, or physical
or mental care. (This is exempted in cases where
the elder refuses such care.)
Failure
to protect the health and safety of an elder.
Physical
signs of Nursing Home Neglect
- Sores
or rashes on the body
- A
smell of urine or fecal matter on elder’s body,
in their room or other living area
- Safety
and/or health hazards are evident in elder’s
living area
- Elder
has an untreated medical condition
- Obvious
malnutrition
- Elder
is excessively dehydrated
- Inadequately
clothed
Physical
Elderly Abuse
Physical
elderly abuse by a nursing home staff or custodian
is the second most common from of elderly abuse.
Exactly what constitutes physical elderly abuse
is defined by each state and jurisdiction. Physical
elderly abuse occurs when someone uses physical
force to willfully inflict bodily injury, harm,
pain, or damage to an elderly person. Examples
of physical elderly abuse include some of the
following:
- Hitting
- Striking
- Pushing
- Shoving
- Burning
- Slapping
- Kicking
- Unduly
restraining
- Restraints
for an excessive period of time
- Inappropriate
or excessive drugging
- Forcing
residents to eat or drink
- Depriving
residents of food or drink
Signs
of Physical Elderly Abuse
- Bruises,
welts, or discoloration on the face or body
- Bedsores
(skin ulcers, pressure sores, decubitus ulcers,
dermal ulcers, or pressure ulcers)
- Puncture
wounds, cuts, scratches, lacerations
- Scared
or fearful attitude of resident to a particular
staff member
- Reluctance
of resident to explain burns, wounds, bruises,
etc.
- Soiled
clothing, bed, or living area
- Untreated
or cared for medical problems
- Bodily
problems not compatible with resident’s history
- Burns
on the body (commonly from cigarettes, ropes,
restraints, etc.)
- Significant
weight loss (in absence of illness)
- Noticeable
dehydration (in absence of illness)
- Noticeable
malnutrition
- Significant
skin problems
- Poor
skin condition or poor skin hy
- Bleeding
or hemorrhaging below scalp
top
Sexual
Elderly Abuse
Sexual elderly abuse is perhaps the most egregious
of all acts perpetrated by nursing home staff
and custodians upon elders. Sexual elderly abuse
occurs when any individual engages in nonconsensual
sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person.
Sexual elderly abuse has also occurred when sexual
contact occurs with an elderly person who is unable
to give consent. This can include, but is not
limited to:
- Coerced
sex
- Coerced
nudity
- Touching
in a sexual manner
- Rape
- Sodomy
- Sexual
assault or battery
- Rape
- Sexually
explicit photographing
- Pornography
Signs
of Sexual Abuse
- Inappropriate
display of affection by staff member
- Flirtation
or coyness directed to a particular resident
top
Psychological
or Emotional Elderly Abuse
Psychological or emotional elderly abuse occurs
when a nursing home staff or custodian willfully
inflicts mental and psychological pain, anguish,
distress or suffering towards an elder individual
using verbal or nonverbal acts. Emotional/psychological
elderly abuse includes but is not limited to:
- Verbal
insults
- Intimidation
- Threatening
physical violence
-
Threatening coerced sex or sexual-related
- Humiliating
elders
- Harassing
elders
- Insulting
elders
- Isolated
an elder from relatives, friends, and others
- Giving
an elder the silent treatment
- Treating
an older person like an infant
Signs
of Psychological/Emotional Elderly Abuse
- Confusion
- Unwarranted
anger
- Depression
without illness
- Agitated
state
- Unusual
silence or sulleness
- Helplessness
- Hesitation
to talk openly
- Implausible
stories
- Confusion
or disorientation
- Denial
- Fear
- Withdrawal
symptoms
top
Abandonment
Abandonment is elderly abuse that occurs when
a custodian of an elderly individual willfully
abandons or deserts them in an instance when a
reasonable person would continue to provide care
of custody. In the act of desertion, the elderly
individual is deprived of important needs such
as food, water, hygiene, etc.
Signs
of Abandonment
An
elder alone, confused, and apparently with no
one with them at a hospital, a nursing facility,
or similar institution.
An
elder at a shopping center or other public location.
An
elder reporting that they were deserted by their
caretaker.
top
Financial
Exploitation
Financial exploitation occurs when an individual
who controls the finances of an elder exploits
their position and irresponsibly or inappropriately
use money, funds, property, or assets that are
intended for use by an elder. Examples of this
elderly abuse include but are not limited to:
- Not
paying bills on time
- Using,
stealing, or misusing money or possessions for
their own use
- Cashing
an elder’s checks without permission
- Forging
an elder's signature
- Abusing
their power of attorney for their personal gain
- Deceiving
an elder into signing a will, contract, or document
Signs
of Financial Elderly Abuse
- Resident
has no awareness of their financial affairs.
Not aware of how their money or assets are being
handled.
- Resident’s
rent is often overdue. Other bills are late
or are unpaid.
- Noticeable
difference between known material status of
resident and appearance (clothing, material
possessions, etc.).
- Inappropriate
activity of bank accounts
- Signatures
on checks do not resemble the older person's
signature, or signed when older person cannot
write
- Recent
changes to will for a resident who is unable
to make such a decision.
- Caregiver
concerned that too much money is being used
to provide resident with care and services.
top
Signs
of Elderly Abuse by Staff
The
following elderly abuse signs should be indicators
that nursing home neglect, abuse, exploitation,
mistreatment or less-than-adequate care is being
perpetrated by a caretaker or nursing home staff.
- Resentment
by staff towards elder
- Elder
not allowed to visit friends or speak without
staff member present
- Aggressive
behavior by staff member towards elder
- Staff
member has a history of suspected abuse
- Staff
member is addicted to, or has had a bad history
with, alcohol or drugs
- Seems
often absent from duties towards residents
- Staff
or caregiver is indifferent or displays anger
towards elder
- Caregiver
and resident/family/friend gives different account
of injuries, incidents, etc.
- Caregiver
of staff is inexplicably defensive over actions
towards residents or elders
- Staff
or caregiver actively works to isolate resident
- Caregiver
reluctant to provide resident with needs or
resident medical plan
top
Risk
Factors for Elderly
- Verbally
abusive
- Hostile
- Threatening
language
- Derogatory
language
- Demanding
of services
- Intrusive
- Manipulative
- History
of substance abuse
- Sexual
acting out
- Incontinent
- Passive
aggressive behavior
- Deaf
or mute
- History
of multiple incidents of any of the above
- Incompetent,
organic brain syndrome (OBS), demented
Employee
Risk Factors
- Alcohol/drug
abuse
- Aggressive
or physical behavior
- Family
problems/history of family violence
- Financial
problems
- Rivalry
issues
- Inadequately
trained
- Mental
problems
- Past
disciplinary actions
- Excessive
absenteeism
- Looking
to resident to fulfill their needs
- Social
isolation
Facility
Risk Factors for Facility
- Insufficient
staff training
- Less
than adequate maintenance on structures.
- Excessive
demands on staff
- Insufficient
staff
- Poorly
paid staff
- Accepting
residents whose needs cannot be met by facility
- Crowding/concentration
of vulnerable adults
- High
employee absenteeism
- Staff
duties not properly defined
- Poor
response to alleged incidence of abuse
- High
personnel turnover
If
you would like to contact an Elderly Abuse Attorney,
Click Here to CONTACT US.
|
