Tips to prevent physical abuse of nursing home residents

The following signs may indicate that your loved one is the victim of physical abuse in a nursing home:

• Broken bones
• Sprains
• Black eyes
• Rope marks or belt marks, particularly around the wrists, ankles, and neck
• Cuts and bruises
• Internal injuries or bleeding
• Unexplained loss of hair
• A nursing home staff member's refusal to permit the resident to have private visitors
• Any unexplained change in the resident's behavior, particularly any showing of fear, stress, anxiety, or a combative reaction when a certain staff member approaches
• When the resident offers implausible stories to explain any of the above signs of physical abuse

If your loved one exhibits any signs of physical abuse in a nursing home, you should:

• Calmly but firmly express your concerns to your loved one. If your loved one tells you that he or she was the victim of physical abuse, immediately report the incident to the police and get emergency medical help. Oftentimes, however, elderly people are afraid or embarrassed to admit that they were the victim of physical abuse; and others may be too physically or mentally impaired to communicate the incident. In these situations, if you believe the warning signs are severe enough, call police and get your loved one to the emergency room of a hospital as soon as possible, if necessary.
• If your suspicions don't warrant immediate police intervention or emergency medical treatment, report the incident to the nursing home administrator and discuss your observations with your loved one's doctor. Then monitor the situation. If the warning signs persist, you should contact authorities. Pennsylvania residents can click here for Contact Information.

Physical Abuse Resources:

• Evaluating abuse claims
• Overview

Other Nursing Home Abuses:

• Bedsores
• Dehydration
• Elopement
• Falls
• Malnutrition
• Mental Abuse
• Physical Abuse
• Restraints
• Sexual Abuse
• Wandering
• Wrongful Death

Search