Picking up from where we left off in 6 Facts to Know about Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect (Pt. 1), below, we will carry on our discussion of some important facts that people should know if their loved one is currently living in a nursing home.
More Important Info You Should Know about Nursing Home Abuse…
Fact 3 – Dehydration and malnutrition are commonly signs of nursing home neglect.
Did you know that people with disabilities are far more often subjected to nursing home abuse than healthy residents? If you suspect such abuse, contact us.
While it’s not uncommon that nursing home residents may be battling dehydration or even malnutrition as a symptom of some other impairment they may be battling, these two conditions can also indicate that some type of nursing home abuse or neglect is occurring.
For example, staff members may be failing to make sure that residents are eating and drinking enough water, and this can have devastating effects on residents – especially those who may be living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia (and, consequently, can’t remember or even take action to properly nourish themselves).
Given the fact that dehydration and malnutrition can have catastrophic impacts on the elderly – and that these conditions may be signs of nursing home neglect or abuse, family members should:
- Be familiar with the signs of dehydration and malnutrition
- Immediately start asking questions about their loved one’s care when they suspect that dehydration or malnutrition may be an indication of nursing home abuse or neglect.
Fact 4 – Nursing home residents with disabilities are far more likely to be the targets of abuse.
Tragically, the people in nursing homes who may need the most care and protection may end up being the people who are most often targeted as the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. Specifically, people with physical and/or mental impairments are reportedly far more likely to be victimized in nursing homes than residents who may have full mental and physical faculties.
In fact, as the National Center on Elder Abuse reports, disabled people living in nursing homes are at least 10 percent more likely to be the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect than residents who are not disabled. Researchers have also found that, when it comes to nursing home abuse against disabled residents, there is no significant difference in whether men or women are the targets of this abuse (as there seems to be about equal rates of abuse and neglect among male and female residents who are disabled).
For some final important facts to know about nursing home abuse and neglect, be sure to check out the upcoming conclusion to this blog.
Montgomery and Birmingham Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC
Do you think your loved one has been victimized by nursing home abuse or neglect? If so, you can count on the Montgomery and Birmingham nursing home abuse lawyers at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC to be aggressive advocates for your loved one’s rights. For more than 16 years, we have been dedicated to the pursuit of justice in every case we oversee, and our experience, dedication and extensive knowledge of the law makes us effective at helping our clients obtain the best possible outcomes to their cases.
Contact Us
You are invited to attend an initial consultation to discuss your case and learn more about your rights. To set up this meeting today, call us at 334-834-2000, or email us using the contact form at the top of this page.
Initial consultations are free in most cases, and evening and weekend appointments are available for your convenience.