Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
- dehydration
- malnutrition and weight loss
- progressive, generalized deterioration in health, bed sores
- inadequate clothing
- hypo/hyperthermia
- persistent odor of urine or feces
- safety hazards within the living environment (i.e. inadequate staff supervision)
- lice, sores and rashes
- medical conditions left untreated
- medications left over at the end of the month
- failure to provide assistive devices such as eyeglasses, dentures or hearing aids
- frequent urinary tract infections
- attempts by the caregiver to cover up injuries with clothing or bed linens
- a delay between the incident causing the injury and notification of a doctor
- frequent falls
- inadequate restraints for the level of confusion and activity of the resident
- uncontrolled infections
- sudden change in resident’s behavior
- caregiver is over – affectionate with resident
- resident is socially isolated from others
- caregiver blames the resident for acts such as incontinence
- caregiver attempts to prevent the resident from speaking or seeing visitors
- caregiver speaks of the resident as a burden
- caregiver acts with indifference toward the resident
- conflicting stories from the resident and the caregiver acts defensively toward routine inquiries into the resident’s care
If you have observed these, or similar warning signs, there may be abuse or neglect taking place in the care of your loved one.