The Common Challenges of Preventing Elder Abuse

When you send your loved one to live in a nursing home, you expect the staff to take excellent care of them and help your loved one maintain their well-being. Sometimes, the people you trust aren’t doing this job. Abuse can be intentional or accidental, but even if it’s accidental, that doesn’t excuse them from abusing your loved one.

Abuse might be more common than you’d think. The National Ombudsman Reporting System (NORS) advocates for the rights of those in long term care facilities. In 2014, they reported about 14,258 complaints regarding abuse and neglect. This kind of abuse can have severe effects in all aspects of your loved one’s life:

• Physical
• Psychological
• Financial
• Social

While it’s upsetting that this kind of abuse occurs, you can take legal action against it. The lawyers at Urban & Taylor in Milwaukee are ready to help. Our team of compassionate, skilled, and dedicated lawyers will work with you and fight for your loved one.

How Do I Know If My Loved One Is Being Abused?

• Poor Nutrition and Dehydration. If your loved one isn’t getting the right nutrition and regular hydration, their physical health can deteriorate. Look for weight loss, dry skin, and weakness. Whether this is happening because there isn’t enough staff or people are knowingly neglecting your loved one, they deserve proper care that includes nutrition and hydration.
• Lack of Exercise. Elderly people need to stay mobile to maintain their strength and keep their circulation consistent. Exercise also helps their mental health, especially if it’s a group exercise that involves a social aspect. Weakness and fatigue can affect those not getting enough exercise.
• If the nursing home is understaffed, there might not be someone to help your loved one throughout the day. Actions like standing up or walking can be a challenge for elders. But if no one is around to help them, the elder might try these actions on their own and hurt themselves. Another serious issue to watch out for is bruising where you can see the outline of fingers or a hand, which could mean people are handling your loved one too roughly.
• Poor Hygiene. If the nursing home is understaffed, they might not be able to attend to every resident’s personal care routines, even though the residents depend on the caregivers to help them with it. When residents can’t do the routines themselves, their overall hygiene suffers. This can lead to serious dental and other health issues. Also check for the community’s cleanliness. If rooms smell stale or the place seems to look dirty and messy, this is not the best environment for your loved one.

Has Your Loved One Been a Victim of Elder Abuse in Wisconsin?

If you discover that your loved one has faced abuse in a nursing home, you don’t have to go through this alone. Our team at Urban & Taylor is ready to help you in any way we can. We approach each case with care and passion. We’ll fight for your loved one’s dignity.

Holding the nursing home accountable for their neglect will send a message that they cannot continue treating residents in this manner. When you speak up, you could prevent this abuse in the future.

Call us today at (866) 720-7232 and you’ll talk to a Milwaukee nursing home abuse lawyer about your options.