How to Recognize When Your Loved One Is Suffering Abuse

Deciding whether or not it’s time to move an elderly loved one to a nursing home is difficult. Many children promise their aging parents and themselves it will never come to that.

These sincere promises are based on circumstances people overlook or rather ignore. It’s difficult to predict future health conditions of the elderly since things can deteriorate rapidly, resulting in them needing constant observational care.

And since the majority of American families have active lifestyles, the elderly or terminally ill won’t receive the care and attention they need.

One of the primary reasons people are very reluctant about placing their loved ones in nursing homes or full-time care facilities is because of the countless reports of abuse, neglect, and overall poor treatment of patients in these places.

While not all nursing homes are terrible places, not knowing for sure is what bothers people, and exacerbated by the fact that elderly patients are either reluctant to speak up or can’t do so.

So, what are some early warning signs that a caregiver isn’t treating your elderly loved as they should?

Therapies and Treatments You or Your Loved One Find Unnecessary

A Chicago-based law firm, Strom & Associates, cites a University of Rochester study between 2012 and 2016 that “raised suspicion that the push towards unnecessary therapy is financially motivated.”

Kevin Yen, the managing partner for the personal injury division of Strom & Associates, wrote that “This is especially concerning because the population being analyzed were patients who received extensive therapy during the last 30 days before they died.”

Speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy are conducted using models known in the nursing home industry as “very high” therapy (9 hours per week) and “ultrahigh” therapy (12 or more hours of rehab).

Medicare automatically covers such services, which means family members responsible for the elderly patient notice since it’s not directly affecting them financially.

Your Elderly Loved One Is Suddenly Depressed and Reserved

The most common form of elder abuse is emotional and physical.

It can lead to further exploitation of power, such as stealing the older adult’s money, personal belongings, or, worse of all, sexual assault or molestation.

Usually, the abuser starts with subtle forms of abuse including emotional and psychological. This results in the patient acting frightened and withdrawn.

You may also notice they’re not getting enough rest. In more severe cases, the victim may rock back and forth while mumbling incoherently. Additionally, you’ll see that they lose interest in things, look depressed, lost, or confused.

Recognizing the Signs of Physical or Sexual Abuse

To even think it’s possible for someone employed as a caregiver to be so evil as to physically or sexually abuse the elderly is utterly frightening.

However, countless such cases have been documented throughout history.

Unfortunately, such evil exists and it’s the family’s duty not to simply drop their elderly loved ones off at a nursing home and expect a complete stranger will care for them more than you do.

The warning signs of elder abuse include:

• Injuries keep occuring with little to no explanation
• Refuses to see their doctor about the injuries
• Unexplained bruises, cuts, scrapes, burns, or other injuries
• Sprained joints or broken bones in places that seem odd, especially for those who are motor impaired
• Discovering odd stains, blood, or rips in articles of clothing, especially under garments
• Vaginal or anal bleeding
• Bruising one both sides of the body, as well as on or around the breasts and genitals

If the difficult choice has been made to an elder loved one in a nursing home, it’s important to keep in mind that, no matter how much you pay for their care and supervision, only you can protect them.

If you have discovered any of the above, it’s highly advised to contact the proper authorities and then hire a skilled attorney. A skilled lawyer can assess your case and guide you to the best course of action.