Nursing home abuse or neglect can result in injuries at any San Francisco Bay Area nursing home, and prevention is essential. There are various ways that family members can help to prevent harm from nursing home abuse, including learning the signs and symptoms that can point to physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or passive neglect. Yet one way of properly addressing nursing home abuse or neglect often gets discounted: taking a report seriously that comes from the elderly person who has been impacted.
Often, seniors living in nursing homes are experiencing different forms of cognitive decline, and a diagnosis with forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, may be the very reason that the elderly person is now living in the nursing home. Yet just because an older adult is experiencing cognitive impairment or has a form of dementia does not mean that their reports of abuse should be ignored. In fact, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), taking such reports seriously is one of the key ways of properly stopping nursing home abuse or neglect when it is happening and preventing it from recurring.
Cognitive Impairment and Reports of Abuse or Neglect in a San Francisco Bay Area Nursing Home
Many different indicators of nursing home abuse and neglect exist, including unexplained physical injuries and unexplained changes in a senior’s behavior. Yet a senior’s own report of abuse — or simply feeling uncomfortable with a particular staff member — can be one of the most important indicators that something is wrong.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, older adults with different forms of cognitive impairment are especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect in nursing homes, in part because they cannot always articulate the ways they have been subject to abuse. Yet any report of abuse from a senior — whether written, verbal, or nonverbal — should be taken seriously, even if that older adult cannot articulate a memory clearly or concisely. An older adult might directly state that a staff member has harmed them. Or, for example, they might state that they do not like a particular staff member, or may behave erratically or fearfully around a specific employee. Any of those types of indicators should result in a thorough investigation.
Severity of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in the Present
Studies suggest that nursing home abuse and neglect have increased in recent years, so it is more important than ever to take any indication of harm very seriously. Indeed, according to a new study reported by the National Council on Aging, as many as 1 in 5 seniors experience some form of elder abuse, even though only about 1 out of every 24 cases is properly reported.
Contact Our San Bernardino County Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys for Assistance
When an elderly loved one in a nursing home makes any type of statement that suggests abuse or neglect, as we have discussed above, it is critical to take it seriously. Even if your elderly loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, any report should be properly investigated. If it turns out that there is no evidence to substantiate abuse or neglect, there is nothing lost. And in the event that your elderly loved one’s report of abuse or neglect has merit, your decision to take the report seriously may ultimately have meant the difference between life and death. If you have any questions or want to find out more about addressing an elderly loved one’s report of abuse or neglect, a San Francisco Bay Area nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer at our firm can help you. Contact Nursing Home Law Group to speak with an advocate today.
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