How Do Nursing Home Residents End Up with Bed Sores?

Every year, millions of people in the United States enter long-term care assisted living facilities. The choice to move into a nursing home can be stressful, but the idea is that receiving extended, specialized care will be beneficial in the long run.

When you or someone that you care about moves to an assisted living facility, you put trust in the professional caregivers who are working there. Those people have been trained to provide medical and emotional support to the residents of the facility.  Unfortunately, in some cases, nursing home neglect happens. The consequences of this type of neglect can be both emotionally and physically devastating. For this reason, it is important to recognize common signs of neglect and make sure to address them immediately.

Understanding Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

There are two types of categories when discussing the failure to provide proper living conditions in a nursing home. The first is neglect. Nursing home neglect refers to the failure of a facility to provide its residents with the care required to allow them a happy, healthy, and safe place to live. Neglect can be intentional or passive, either way, it is both wrong and illegal.

The second category is abuse. Abuse is typically easier to spot because of the physical nature of the injuries. This refers to the actual intentional mistreatment of a person living in an assisted care facility. Abuse is a direct action that causes injury (either physical or emotional) and decreases the patient’s quality of life due to the detrimental behavior of their caregiver.

Some of the most common signs of abuse and neglect presented at an assisted living facility are grouped into two categories.

1. Emotional – This includes but is not limited to verbal abuse, isolation, inattention or ignoring a patient.
2. Physical – This includes and is not limited to inattention to medical issues, sexual abuse, hitting or slapping, deprivation of water or food.

Common Signs of Nursing Home Neglect

Although you might not be present to witness acts of abuse, there are signs to watch out for. Some of the signs that a resident at a nursing home is being abused or neglected include:

• Bed sores and untreated infections
• Bruises or cuts
• Change in personality, withdrawal, anxiety, or depression
• Weight loss and dehydration

When you are visiting a loved one who is living in a nursing home, and you discover that they have not been treated properly, your first step will be to make sure they are moved out of that facility. The primary concern is to stabilize and improve their living conditions right away. The next step will be to seek medical attention and to document the injuries. Next, contact a lawyer to discuss your options.

Contact a Florida Nursing Home Lawyer Today

If you or someone that you care about has been the victim of nursing home neglect, the aftermath can be devastating. No one deserves to be treated this way, and the lawyers at the Florida Law Group are ready and available to help you through this difficult time. Working with an experienced lawyer can help alleviate the stress of and pain associated with nursing home injuries. The attorneys at the Florida Law Group understand the process of protecting our clients from this type of abuse. Contact us online today or call 813-463-8880 to set up your initial consultation.