Nursing home abuse, or elder abuse, is the violation of the vulnerable elderly population by means of physical, emotional, financial, or sexual abuse or exploitation. A nursing home or other long-term living facility has an obligation to care for each resident’s physical, emotional, and psychosocial well-being. If the facility or one of its employees fails to do this by way of neglect or outright abuse, it is in violation of the law and could be liable for the victim’s harms. This can include medical bills, emotional distress, and more. Be sure to contact a Louisville nursing home abuse lawyer to help you navigate the legal process.
The different types of elder abuse are as follows:
Physical abuse. Intentionally physically harming a nursing home resident for any reason. Look for signs such as odd-shaped bruises, slap marks, restraint marks, unexplained injuries, frequent trips to the hospital, burns, malnutrition, dehydration, bite marks, medication errors, and lack of proper sanitation or an unkempt appearance.
Mental/emotional abuse. When an employee verbally abuses a resident or does something to intentionally cause him or her emotional/mental distress. This can include ignoring the resident and their personal hygiene, berating him/her, humiliating him/her, forcing him/her to sit in a dirty adult diaper, withholding food or medications, etc. Look for red flags such as depression, anxiety, or withdrawal from normal social activities.
Sexual abuse. This includes taking advantage of an elderly person’s physical or mental incapacitation to force him or her to perform or engage in sexual acts. Look for signs such as pelvic or genital injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, trouble walking, bruising of the upper thighs, bloodied undergarments, or behavior changes such as guilt or depression. Our family members should not have to tolerate sexual assault of any kind.
Financial abuse. Financial exploitation can take the form of defrauding the nursing home resident, taking advantage of a position of trust, or forcing the elderly person to give money or gifts through other means, such as another type of abuse. Look for unexplained or unusual changes in your loved one’s bank statements or financial situation.