Elderly people require a lot of care, attention, and love, and often, family members do not have the time to provide it for them due to their own jobs and other duties. This is why many families prefer keeping the elderly members in a retirement home that can care for them better than when they are alone in their own house. However, not all homes do their job currently.
Many nursing homes fail to provide adequate services and are negligent towards the needs of the elderly that stay with them. Elder abuse can take place in various forms, such as physical, emotional, mental, and financial. If you suspect that your loved one was a victim of elderly abuse at their nursing home, speak to a nursing home abuse lawyer in Vermont today.
What are the warning signs of elderly abuse at a nursing home?
One of the most obvious signs that your family member is being abused or neglected at their nursing home is a sudden change in their health or behavior. Even though nursing homes separate family members, which can be upsetting for the elderly, they are meant to provide emotional and mental support as well.
There are various types of elderly abuse, such as physical, financial, emotional, and mental, and the warning signs can vary depending on the type of abuse they suffer from. Some of the common ones include:
- Poor hygiene.
- Bruises, cuts, broken bones, and other injuries.
- Malnourishment or weight loss.
- Unusual loss of money.
- Symptoms of anxiety, depression, confusion, and other mental health disorders.
- Being distant from friends, family, and any loved one.
Elder neglect vs. elder self-neglect
People are often confused between the two terms–elder neglect and elder self-neglect. Elder neglect is among the most common nursing home abuse cases and constitutes more than half of the reported cases. This type of neglect can be intentional or unintentional. This means that the staff might be ignorant of the elderly person’s problems or may be in denial that they require help.
Elder self-neglect happens when the elderly have been neglected so much that their diminished mental and physical capacity does not allow them to care for themselves anymore. This means they may no longer be able to perform simple tasks like personal hygiene, eating, going to the bathroom, changing their clothes, etc. Elder self-neglect can even lead to cases of depression, anxiety, and other severe problems.
