As someone who has entrusted your loved one to a nursing home or similar facility, news of abuse and neglect running rampant may strike fear into your heart. You could wonder: is this happening to my loved one?
It is important to keep your eyes peeled for potential red flags that might indicate neglect occurring right under your nose. Understanding and identifying these signs quickly could help your loved one immeasurably.
Neglect vs. abuse
Care Pathways looks into the potential red flags that might indicate neglect occurring in a nursing home. First, neglect often differs from abuse in several ways. Though neglect is often a form of abuse, abuse can exist on its own in the form of physical, mental or emotional harm often done intentionally.
By comparison, neglect especially in nursing home facilities may sometimes occur accidentally, often due to staff shortages and simply not having enough people on board to care for residents equally. Unfortunately, regardless of the reason, the end result is still the same and it still causes damage to your loved one.
Red flags indicating neglect
When looking for signs of neglect, inspect your loved one first. In many victims, you will see signs of malnourishment or dehydration due to not getting enough food or water. You may also notice pressure ulcers – also called bedsores – which happen when someone who cannot move easily on their own gets left in the same position for too long.
Pay attention to the staff, too. Revolving door employment situations often mean workers are underpaid, overworked and stressed out, thus leaving quickly after joining the team. If you notice any such issues, you might want to take a closer look into the possibility of neglect.