If your loved one is a resident of a nursing home, you should be concerned about the quality of the care they receive. Learn the warning signs of nursing home abuse in Kissimmee and be prepared to act if you notice red flags.
Contact The Florida Firm if you have concerns about the conditions your loved one is experiencing. The nursing home abuse attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright have an outstanding record of holding negligent nursing homes accountable, including several seven-figure verdicts and settlements. We are so well known for our professionalism and success that other area lawyers and community leaders refer their clients and loved ones to us.
How Do You Identify Red Flags in the Facility?
You can get a sense of whether a nursing home provides good care by closely observing the physical surroundings. Some obvious red flags are visible dirt, a bad smell, or a strong smell of air cleaner or disinfectant. Worn or uneven flooring, maintenance issues, or obstructions in the hallways and common areas are indicators that a safe environment for the residents is not the facility’s priority.
Try to get a sense of the atmosphere. Do patients seem clean, well-cared for, and engaged? Do staff members seem stressed or irritable? The latter could indicate serious understaffing, which might impact the quality of care.
If your loved one suffers an injury or illness in the nursing home that you believe is due to poor facility maintenance, contact a Kissimmee attorney at The Florida Firm. We can help you decide on the best strategy to protect your loved one.
Physical Indicators of Nursing Home Abuse
A lot of nursing home abuse and neglect goes unreported, often because the external indicators of abuse can be explained away. People live in nursing homes because they are medically fragile, and so a nursing home can attribute signs of abuse to the unavoidable effects of aging, illness, or specific medications.
For example, elderly people have thinner skin and less subcutaneous fat, so they tend to bruise easily, especially if they are also taking blood thinners. Their bones are more brittle and fracture more easily than those of a younger, healthier person. Their balance may be poor, and so they may be prone to falls.
If your loved one suffers cuts, severe bruising, or fractures not attributed to a fall, demand an explanation from the facility and question the reply if it seems unsatisfactory. If a fall is the cause of the injury, the nursing home may be negligent for not preventing this predictable occurrence. If a nursing home resident has an injury that could have resulted from rough handling or intentional violence, contact a lawyer in Kissimmee immediately.
Bedsores Are a Clear Indicator of Neglect
Patients confined to bed or a wheelchair risk developing bedsores. They are preventable if the staff move the patient regularly and keep their clothing and bedding clean. There are strict protocols regarding bedsores that the facility must follow.
Bedsores can cause enormous pain and lead to fatal infections, so immediate intervention is required. Our firm has pursued several cases on behalf of the families of nursing home patients who developed bedsores and obtained substantial compensation from the facilities.
Changes in the Patient’s Personality or Demeanor
Emotional or sexual abuse can be even more devastating than physical abuse, and it is more difficult to detect. People often move into a nursing home because a caregiver has died or become too ill to provide care. Loved ones might attribute a nursing home patient’s sadness or anger to grief or adjustment difficulties, but it could be a sign of abuse.
Nursing home patients who can communicate may be unwilling to divulge the abuse because of shame, guilt, or fear. Other patients are not able to communicate, or they may suffer from dementia or other conditions that cause people to disbelieve them. Identifying abuse in these circumstances is challenging, but changes in appetite, unexplained weight gain or loss, and new sleep disturbances should trigger investigation. A new diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease may merit a call to law enforcement.
If you suspect your loved one is the victim of emotional or sexual abuse in their Kissimmee nursing home, contact us immediately. We will listen to your story and suggest how best to proceed. Our attorneys will do everything they can to end the abuse and hold the facility accountable.
Call Our Kissimmee Attorneys Immediately If You Notice Any Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
If you believe you have observed the warning signs of nursing home abuse in Kissimmee and are concerned for a loved one, contact us at Colling Gilbert Wright immediately. We do not charge unless we obtain compensation for you, so reach out today.