Peoria Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

Does My Loved One Have a Peoria Nursing Home Abuse Case?

Unfortunately, abuse of senior citizens in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities continues to be a major problem in Peoria, Arizona, and around the country. All too often the people in our society who most deserve to be loved and cared for in a respectful way instead endure horrendously cruel treatment and suffer untold abuse, pain, and suffering at the hands of those who are paid to protect them and keep them healthy.

Nursing home abuse cases should focus first and foremost on the person who has suffered the abuse. The nursing home abuse case that follows is incredibly important, too. By bringing a case against the facility where the abuse occurred, the facility could either be shut down or forced to remove personnel and change unlawful practices. Every resident of the facility in question - and all facilities throughout Peoria and the state of Arizona - is amply warned when these cases are brought to bear. Only by publicizing these types of heinous offenses and their consequences can we as a society hope to put a stop to them.

So if you suspect a loved one is enduring any neglect or abuse whatsoever in an assisted care living facility or nursing home or anywhere in the state of Arizona, it is critical to investigate and take action.

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What are the Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect?

Obviously, most people are not experts when it comes to figuring out whether or not their loved one is being abused or neglected. Family members may have a gut feeling that something isn't right, but it's tough to be sure without knowing the potential warning signs. Many different indicators exist. Look for symptom such as unexplained bruises, cuts, or fractures sustained while the elder is living in the facility. Bedsores are another common marker of nursing home abuse or neglect. Also, if a loved one has joints that are frozen and no longer move that is often a signal that proper care is lacking or abuse is occurring within the facility.

In the worst cases, unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding and bloody underwear are discovered. These are a glaring indication in many cases of terrible sexual abuse or neglect.

Sometimes, a loved one in a facility is unable to express what is happening to them, either because physically or mentally they are unable to communicate or because they fear doing so while they live in the facility. For these reasons, it's essential to keep a close eye out for sudden changes in an elder loved one's behavior. Keeping the lines of communication open is key.

Also, if access to a loved one is ever denied and visitors are unexpectedly not allowed, that should raise an immediate red flag. Follow up on these or other symptoms of potential abuse or neglect for the sake of your loved one.

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What is Nursing Home Abuse?

There is not one single form of nursing home neglect or abuse. In fact, abuse takes many different forms. Sometimes, nursing home neglect is limited to the failure to ensure that an elder who could fall and be seriously injured is protected. For example, when somebody who is liable prone to fall out of his or her own bed there are reasonable measures that can be taken to guard their safety. When staff members neglect to take those measures, this is a form of nursing home neglect.

Other times, mistreatment goes beyond just simple mistakes that should have been corrected and the signs of abuse are plain. When elderly people suffer broken bones, bruises, swelling, cuts, or other physical injuries at the hands of the caretakers an investigation should be undertaken to reveal truly abusive conduct.

While emotional and psychological abuse are harder to prove, they may accompany physical abuse and should be probed diligently. Has a sudden change of behavior in a loved one been observed recently? Are there unusual patterns of behavior, seemingly from out of nowhere? Is it possible that the fear, depression, anxiety, or sudden frustration of a loved one is caused by the guilt he or she feels about telling you what is happening to them? Is it possible that the elder is afraid to do so?

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Contact The Husband & Wife Law Team

Obviously, your gut feeling will not be considered viable evidence at trial. However, that gut feeling could lead you to conclude that something is wrong and allow you to take steps not only to protect your loved one, but to consider a possible Arizona lawsuit to protect others in the same facility or nursing home facilities in the future. For assistance, please contact The Husband & Wife Law Team and speak with a Peoria personal injury attorney at (623) 930-8064 immediately.

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Additional Information

• What to do if you Suspect Neglect in a Loved One’s Nursing Home
• How the Law Defines Arizona Elder Abuse and Neglect