Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Whether you live in a nursing home or have a friend or relative under the care of others, it’s important to understand the various forms and types of nursing home abuse.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse involves physical force against an individual and usually leads to physical pain, bodily injury, impairment, or visible marks. Common forms of physical abuse include hitting, pushing, shoving, slapping, shaking, kicking, beating, burning, throwing an object, or striking with an object. Other forms of physical abuse in nursing homes include force-feeding, using physical restraint, and any other forms of physical punishment. The signs and symptoms of physical abuse include bleeding, scratch marks, bruises, scabs, discoloration, swelling, broken bones, open wounds, and more.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves any non-consensual sexual contact with an elderly individual. Types of sexual abuse include unwanted touching, sodomy, sexual assault, rape, coerced nudity, and exposure to sexually explicit materials. Signs and symptoms include bruising or bleeding around the breast, anal, or genital area, torn or stained undergarments, genital infections or venereal diseases, and firsthand reports of sexual abuse.
Financial Abuse
Financial abuse among the elderly is quite common and includes any illegal or improper use of a person’s assets, funds, or property without consent. Types of financial abuse include cashing checks, withdrawing money from savings accounts, coercing an elderly individual into signing documents, forging signatures, and abusing power of attorney or guardianship responsibilities. Telltale signs of financial abuse include sudden changes in a bank account or banking activity, the addition of foreign names to an elder’s bank card, unauthorized withdrawals of funds, unexplained money transfers, and more.
Neglect
Neglect is a form of abuse that occurs when a caretaker fails to fulfill obligations and duties. Other types and acts of neglect include refusing to provide necessities like food, water, shelter, clothing, personal hygiene, medication, security, and comfort. Signs and symptoms include malnutrition, dehydration, bed sores, poor hygiene, unsanitary living conditions, and more.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death describes a situation where a person dies as the result of someone else’s negligence. For example, many people depend on nursing homes or long-term care facilities to provide for their loved ones’ medical needs with diligence, trustworthiness, and dependability. Thus, when a loved one has died unexpectedly in a nursing home, we must question whether the facility or one of its employees is responsible.
Because those in nursing homes are nearing the end of their lives, many don’t investigate the causes of their loved ones’ deaths. However, family members and friends can usually tell if their loved one’s death was unusually sudden, unexplainable, or surrounded by vague circumstances. If a medical professional is unclear about the details of your loved one’s death or can’t answer your questions, it could be a sign of negligence.
Other Forms of Abuse
In addition to these types of abuse, other forms of nursing home abuse include abandonment, emotional or psychological injuries and abuse, and material exploitation. However, anything that puts an elderly individual at involuntary risk can be considered abuse.
Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet cares about Kansas City’s elderly population. We can immediately go to work on your case, relocating your loved one to a safe place and filing a report with the correct authorities in Missouri. We can then begin building a personal injury claim on your loved one’s behalf. A lawsuit could result in financial compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Do You Believe Your Loved One May Be Experiencing Nursing Home Abuse Or Neglect In A Kansas City, Missouri?
If you feel your loved one is being subjected to nursing home abuse or neglect you should speak with an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact us online or call our office directly at 816.832.4688 to schedule your free consultation. We are proud to serve Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding area and look forward to speaking with you.
