Children of individuals in nursing homes want to make sure their parents are being well taken care of. This may mean watching for signs of abuse like bruising, cuts and scrapes, or emotional distress. However, these are not the only types of abuse that elders may be exposed to while in a nursing home. Unlike more active forms of abuse such as verbal and physical, neglect often goes unnoticed.
Research featured by the Nursing Home Abuse Center states that only 20 percent of neglect cases are reported. Because of this, it is important to know the signs of neglect as well as the different types that an elder may experience.
Signs of nursing home neglect
- Sores and wounds: When elderly residents have bedsores or other injuries from staff not coming to check on them regularly, they may deal with pain and infections. This can negatively impact individuals both mentally and physically.
- Poor hygiene and living conditions: One of the nursing home staff's primary jobs is to help residents with daily functions like cleansing both body and room. Without this, residents are unable to stay hygienic, which can lead to health and safety hazards.
Types of nursing home neglect
- Medical: If nursing home staff are neglecting to provide medications when residents need them or pay attention to medical emergency when one occurs, significant damage could occur.
- Social: When an individual is neglected socially, either they are not able to interact with other residents or staff is ignoring them, one may feel cut off from the world.
- Hygienic: This type of neglect refers to one's basic needs. If these are not being met, a resident can be in danger of more health problems.
If a nursing home resident is experiencing any form of neglect, nursing staff or owners could be held negligent.