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Elder Abuse In Nursing Home Essay

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Signs of Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes The decision to move your elderly loved one into a nursing home is never easy. Not only does it mean a radical life change, it can be difficult to trust strangers to care for someone you've been seeing to for months or even years. The other concern is elder abuse. Elder abuse in nursing homes is disturbingly common. Because seniors transitioning to assisted living facilities often struggle with cognitive and speech impairments, they are more vulnerable to negligent treatment. If any resident or staff member is causing physical or emotional harm or purposefully neglecting a nursing home patient, this is considered elder abuse. Abandonment and financial exploitation are also considered acts of abuse. …show more content…

Unexplainable Injuries It is to be expected that any senior, regardless of their living conditions, may scratch or cut themselves by mistake, take a fall, or bump into a piece of furniture, causing a bruise. However, in a good assisted living facility, incidents like this should be very far and few in between. If you notice frequent bruises, welts, cuts, broken bones, or unfamiliar scars on your loved one, he or she may be being abused. 2. Malnourished Appearance and/or Behavior If your loved one is being neglected, you may notice an unexplained drop in weight and other signs of malnourishment such as dental health problems, easy bruising, and dry skin (dehydration). If you visit at mealtimes, you may notice the senior eating a large quantity of food very quickly, as though they haven't eaten in days. 3. Unmet Physical or Medical Needs Even if your loved one is not being physically or emotionally abused, he or she may be experiencing neglect. Signs of this include medical needs being ignored (a persistent cough, bed sores), an unkempt appearance, a strong odor, and soiled linens and clothes. 4. Signs of Being Physically Restrained If you notice rope marks or bruising on the wrists or ankles, this may be a sign that the senior is being physically restrained when you're not

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