Common Forms of Nursing Home Abuse

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Common Forms of Nursing Home Abuse

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

Nursing home abuse can take on a variety of different forms. If you suspect that your loved one is a victim of abuse or neglect at a nursing home, it is important that you speak with a Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible about your legal options. 

People rely upon nursing homes and their employees to care for ailing loved ones. Sadly, however, that does not always happen, and nursing home abuse is unfortunately all too common.

Nursing home abuse by an employee and directed towards a patient can result in a resident suffering serious damages, such as a fracture or head injury. While physical harm certainly constitutes nursing home abuse, other types of abuse include emotional and verbal harm directed towards a patient. Neglect is another common type of abuse that happens in the nursing home setting.

If you suspect that your loved one is the victim of abuse while residing at a nursing home, the knowledgeable team of Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers at Malman Law is here to help. Our legal team can help you investigate the situation and may be able to take legal action against the nursing home on behalf of your loved one. Please call us today to find out more about how we could assist you with your nursing home abuse claim or lawsuit.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse and neglect often take on several different forms. Physical abuse of a nursing home resident occurs when an employee, or another resident, punches, hits, strikes, or otherwise harms the nursing home resident. Verbal abuse occurs when an employee belittles, yells at, or harasses a patient, causing the patient to suffer unnecessary distress. In other situations, the employee might wrongfully withhold food or medication from the patient.

Another type of nursing home abuse is neglect. This happens when a nursing home employee, such as a doctor, nurse, nursing assistant, dietitian, or administrator, fails to provide the resident with the care he or she needs. For example, a nursing home staff member might fail to properly supervise the patient or may fail to keep the nursing home in a reasonably safe and clean condition, resulting in a patient injury or illness.

If you suspect that your loved one is a victim of abuse, the experienced Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys at Malman Law can investigate the situation and may be able to take legal action against the nursing home on your behalf.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

There are several common signs and symptoms that are associated with nursing home abuse and neglect. Specifically, you should be on the lookout for bruising, cuts, scrapes, abrasions, and bedsores that are present on the resident’s body. In addition, you should be on the lookout for sudden mood swings (if the resident never exhibited those before), social withdrawal, and extreme disorientation or anxiety.

Speak to a Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer about Your Legal Matter Today

The legal team at Malman Law could assist you with pursuing a claim against a negligent nursing home employee – or against the nursing home itself. For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced Chicago nursing home abuse attorney, please call us today at (312) 629-0099, or contact us online for more information about how we can assist you.