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Examples of nursing home abuse

On Behalf of | Jan 18, 2021 | blog, Elder Law

There’s a lot of thinking that goes on before Texas families ultimately decide to place their elderly relatives into a nursing home. Understandably, they want to first ensure that they are being placed in an environment with professionals who know how to do their job. Most importantly, they want their family member to be safe. Unfortunately, the news of elder abuse is often too commonly seen on the local and national news. That is why it is so important for a family to understand and spot the signs of nursing home abuse.

Physical marks on relative

One of the reasons why nursing home employees believe they can get away with physically hurting a resident is because they know older people are prone to bruising. Thus when a family member brings up any marks, they can easily explain it. Although elders do bruise easily, signs that you should be looking for include:

  • Bruising in the same places
  • Relative becoming quiet
  • Lack of documented activities

Sexual abuse towards the elderly

Because some elderly residents are incapable of communicating through talk or they simply don’t have the physical strength to move, the chances of nursing home abuse become even greater. A common abuse regarding these types of residents is sexual abuse. Families should understand that sexual abuse comes in many forms other than intercourse. Forced nudity, unwanted, and necessary touching are just some of the other types of sexual abuse to look out for.

Financial abuse & fraud

There have been cases where residents will open the mail of a resident to steal either their personal information, identity, or simply cash out their monthly social security checks. That is why it is imperative that family members document their relative’s personal bank account statements as a means of protecting them from this type of financial abuse.