Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Injury Lawyers Athens Can Rely On

Learning the different forms nursing home abuse can take is a crucial first step in preventing it from happening. The most common forms include:

Neglect: Neglect is the most common and insidious form of nursing home abuse. It encompasses the failure of caregivers to meet the nursing home residents’ basic needs, including the provision of food, fluids, safe shelter, exercise, medication, and security. Neglect is the most difficult form of abuse to identify because it often does not leave clear physical signs.

Physical abuse: Physical abuse of a resident involves the infliction of injuries or the threat of inflicting physical harm. And according to a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), one in five nursing home residents will experience abuse. Common types of physical abuse include shoving, hitting, using excessive restraints, withholding food or water as punishment, and more.

Over-medicating: Many nursing home residents will take prescription medications to assist with ailments. Some residents are prescribed medication with tranquilizing effects to help with the anxiety and stress associated with aging and memory loss. Residents’ prescription intake must be closely monitored but unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for staff to overmedicate residents to make their behavior more manageable.

Psychological/emotional abuse: This form of abuse encompasses the intentional infliction of emotional distress upon residents using verbal or non-verbal means. This could include cruel statements made to residents, ignoring or isolating behaviors, and more. Like neglect, this can be a difficult form of abuse to identify. According to a study completed by the National Center on Elder Abuse, psychological and emotional abuse is the most common form of abuse that takes place in nursing homes.

Financial abuse: According to the National Council on Aging, elders are more likely to self-report financial abuse than any of the other forms. It’s reported that a whopping $2.6 billion each year is lost due to financial abuse. Nursing home staff members have stolen residents’ possessions, cash, credit cards, and other valuables. There are even instances of staff pressuring residents into signing over their bank accounts or changing their wills.