Elderly Abuse Nursing Homes

When placing a loved one into the fulltime care of a nursing home, you place your trust in the staff and nurses in the home to provide the best care and doing the right thing by residents. Unfortunately in some homes there are cases of elderly abuse, nursing homes in the main however provide fantastic care to resident`s. Those homes that are found to be abusing or neglecting elders in any way should be reported to local authorities and regulating bodies such as the Care Quality Commission who can act quickly to remedy the case. There are different kinds of elderly abuse, nursing homes visitors can look out for signs and talk to friends and relatives to make sure the care being received is up to the promised standards.

Code Table

Physical Abuse

Physical Abuse can be easily picked up on both visibly and by talking with loved ones. The common thought is that physical abuse is administered in the form of a stronger person assaulting someone who is more vulnerable, this is one of the causes of abuse physically but not the only one. Another way that can be classed as physical assault is through the prescription and administration of medication that is not licensed for the purpose which it is used. There are signs of elderly abuse nursing homes are carrying out physically that you can look out for:

Poor skin condition
Poor hygiene
Loss of weight
Dehydration or malnourishment that is not illness related
Soiled bedding or clothing
Signs of restrain or broken glasses
Relatives telling you that have been hit or kicked
Broken bones, fractures, cuts, puncture wounds, lacerations, bruises, black eyes, welts or discolouration

Psychological Abuse

The is the most common case in elderly abuse, nursing homes charity helplines such as the Action on Elders receive hundreds of calls each year related to cases of psychological abuse. It can involve residents being emotionally threatened with restricted access to visitors unless they comply with demands, another way would be to endanger personal objects and items. This form of abuse can impact massively upon the mental health of a resident. Signs to be aware of are:

Confusion or disorientation
Emotionally upset
Unusual behaviour
Hesitation to talk openly
Withdrawn
Anger
Helplessness

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse is not the most known about cause of elderly abuse nursing homes helplines hear about but it does go on throughout the UK. It is apparent in the stealing or defrauding of someone’s goods or property. One of the reasons could be a member of staff stealing money from the purse of a resident or stealing bank details. Things for visitors to ask about and look out for are:

Sudden changes in bank accounts or unexplained withdrawals of large sums of money by someone accompanying resident
Care home bills not being paid
Restricted access to family and friends giving more control of the resident to staff and nurses
Unexplained disappearance of goods and valuables such as personal jewellery, art or silverware from rooms.