Could This Be Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse?

Even if your loved one has not suffered an injury, it is important to know about the different types of nursing home abuse or neglect so that you can be prepared to take action if your loved one is hurt.

Any of the following could be the result of nursing home abuse or neglect and should be investigated:

• Malnutrition or dehydration. Nursing homes have a duty to provide adequate nutrition and hydration to each resident and to account for each resident’s unique medical and dietary needs.
   
• A fall. While a fall could just be an accident, it may also occur because of negligence if the resident was not properly attended to or if there was a dangerous condition that caused the fall.
   
• A medication error If a resident receives the wrong medication, the wrong dose of a medication, or medication at the wrong time, then a serious injury may occur. That injury may be the result of nursing home negligence.
   
• Wandering or elopement. Many nursing home residents cannot safely move unattended around the nursing home or off nursing home grounds. Any injuries that result from this type of wandering or elopement may be the result of negligence.
   
• The use of physical restraints. Physical restraints or medications used as restraints should not be used unless a health professional authorizes such a restraint for a specific reason. Restraints can cause physical injury and should not be used for the convenience of nursing home staff.
   
• A violation of government standards. The government maintains certain minimum standards for nursing homes. If nursing homes fail to comply with such standards, then that could be a form of negligence.
   
• The failure to maintain a clean and safe facility. Dirty facilities can cause infections, and cluttered facilities can cause fall hazards. A resident who is hurt because of unclean or unsafe facilities may have been hurt by nursing home negligence.
   
• Neglect. Sometimes nursing home staff members simply fail to meet the reasonable needs of nursing home residents because the staff is neglectful.

These problems are not always caused by nursing home abuse or negligence, but since abuse or negligence can be a cause of these issues it is important for you to find out why they happened. Your loved one’s recovery and the safety of the residents may depend on the moves that you make now.

Don’t Make Your Decisions Alone

Instead, reach out to us via this website or by phone (1-800-800-5678) to schedule a free, confidential consultation about your loved one’s rights and about the steps that your family needs to take now to protect your loved one’s potential recovery.