Verbal and emotional abuse can be very painful for nursing home residents. Signs of emotional abuse include changes in personality, loss of interest in activities, withdrawal from or fear of staff or other residents, or worsened depression.

Emotional Abuse

Falls can be caused by any number of things – from medications to malnutrition. Most falls can be prevented by nursing home staff. If your loved one suffered a fall, make sure it was not due to mistreatment, abuse, or neglect.

Falls

Residents who don’t get proper nutrition and hydration are at higher risk for bedsores, infections, and falls. Nursing homes must prevent malnutrition by carefully logging how much residents eat, offering a comfortable environment to eat in, and serving appetizing food.

Malnutrition

Medication Errors

Medication errors are often due to the negligence of nursing home staff. Errors such as distributing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage to a resident can be potentially fatal, as medications may be essential for a resident’s survival. One of the most dangerous and severe medication errors is overmedicating residents.

Sexual Abuse

Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse. Many with advanced dementia cannot tell their families what is happening, so loved ones must be hyper-aware of this threat. Signs of sexual abuse include sexually transmitted infections, unexplained cuts or bruising, bleeding in the genital area, and extreme fear of a staff member or other resident.

Death

Elderly people who are abused have a 300% higher risk of death than those who are not. Nursing home residents are common targets for abuse and neglect. If your loved one died suddenly or suspiciously, their nursing facility may be to blame.