What To Do If You Suspect Your Loved One Is Being Abused

Posted On June 20, 2018 Nursing Home Abuse

It is often a hard decision to put a loved one into a nursing home. After you make that decision, though, you expect that the home you chose will treat your loved one well. Finding signs of elder abuse or neglect is devastating, but there are things you can do to help put your loved one on a path to recovery and better care.

If you suspect your elderly relative is being abused, call elder abuse lawyer Travis Siegel at 562-273-9118 for a free consultation. He has dedicated his career to helping elderly victims of abuse and neglect, and he will be happy to give you a free consultation and let you know the proper authorities to contact.

Who to Contact If A Loved One Is In Danger

There are a number of different resources you can turn to if you suspect abuse. The main ones are as follows:

• 911: If the victim is in immediate, life-threatening danger, call 911. The most important thing at this point is to get them the medical help they need. After they are taken to the hospital, you can tell a doctor what happened and they will be mandated to report it.
• California Adult Protective Services: APS is a governmental agency specifically created to investigate reports of elder abuse and neglect. They can help you through the reporting process and give you resources and advice.
• An elder abuse lawyer: Travis Siegel can help you navigate the legal complexities of your elder abuse case, and can help you to recover compensation for your loved one’s emotional and physical injuries.

If you are uncertain if abuse or neglect is happening, you can talk to a close friend or family member about your suspicions, and see if they feel the same way. Surprise visits to a nursing home can also sometimes reveal conditions that otherwise would have been cleaned up or hidden had the staff known someone was coming.

Signs of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Although your elderly loved one may not want to or be able to tell you what’s going on, there are signs you can watch for that often point to abuse.

• Multiple falls in a short span of time can mean the nursing home is understaffed and your loved one is being neglected
• Bed sores are a sign of neglect, as they can be easily prevented with proper care
• Bruises can mean that your loved one is being handled roughly
• Unexplained burns, fractures, cuts, and other types of wounds often point to abuse
• Depression or anxiety in elderly residents is often a sign of abuse, neglect, or both
• Untreated wounds and infections can be a sign of negligence and/or abuse

When you visit your loved one, take note of any personality changes they have undergone. Look around the nursing home and watch for signs that residents are being overmedicated, undernourished, or ignored. Check the state of the home itself – are the facilities clean and well cared for? Facilities that are dirty or in disrepair are a sign of a larger problem.

Your loved one deserves to be respected and cared for. If you see any signs that something is amiss, do not hesitate to call Adult Protective Services as well as elder abuse lawyer Travis Siegel. Stepping in early can save your loved one from further harm.

Schedule Your Elder Abuse Consultation

If you suspect that your parent, grandparent, or other elderly loved one is not being treated right by a caregiver or nursing home, call Travis Siegel today at 562-273-9118 to schedule your free consultation.

We serve clients in Long Beach, Tustin, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana, and other nearby areas of Southern California.