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Nursing home abuse can take the form of physical,
mental or neglectful abuse by intentionally
causing harm or pain to a resident.
Physical abuse may include hitting, slapping,
spitting, pushing, forceful feeding, pinching,
inappropriate touching, unwanted sexual acts, etc.
Mental nursing home abuse can include unwanted
seclusion, verbal abuse, threatening, ridiculing,
belittling, etc.
The failure to provide for the reasonable needs of
a nursing home resident is considered neglect.
It can include a lack of bathing, lack of personal
care, lack of exercise assistance, lack of sanitation,
lack of providing needed medications, lack of eating
assistance and the omission many other required means
of care.
Nursing home abuse can happen to anyone confined to
a nursing home. If you suspect that a relative
has been abused or neglected in a nursing home and
that person is in immediate danger, the local police
should be summoned or the person removed to a hospital
emergency room. There is also an elder care
locator hotline, a directory of State ombudsmen, other
state agencies and nursing home review boards
available to help in correcting care or locating
another nursing home and reporting abuse.
Nursing homes are required by law to provide
quality care that maintains their resident's
wellbeing. The law makes abuse or neglect a
prosecutable criminal act.
Families of nursing home abuse residents may seek
civil legal action against a nursing home and its
employees suspected of abuse or neglect. An
attorney specializing in elder care and elder abuse
can help with the preparation and litigation of such a
case.
When nursing home facilities are needed, it is
always best to visit several nursing homes in the
area. Make note of the quality of care, the
staff to patient ratio, the cleanliness of the
facility, that proper facility certifications and
inspections are available for review, the quality and
tastiness of meals, that eating assistance is
available, that meal service is available at normal
times and that sufficient activities are available to
residents.
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