How Can You Tell if Your Loved One is the Victim of Nursing Home Neglect in Columbia, SC?

December 14, 2019

It’s not easy to decide to move your loved one into a nursing home. Little by little, you realize that your mom or dad is in worse shape than you originally thought. You may see that they can no longer take care of themselves physically. Or, they’re at risk of harming themselves. They leave the stove on or forget to lock the door. They start falling and there’s nobody there to help them. When it gets to this point, the best thing to do is move your loved one into a nursing home or assisted living facility. Just because you know it’s the right thing doesn’t make it any easier. Your biggest fear isn’t that the staff at the nursing home won’t take care of your loved one. You’re afraid that your loved one will be sad and depressed if they can’t live at home. You don’t want them to sink lower into dementia and are afraid that will happen if you move them to a facility. So, when you find out that your loved one is being neglected in a nursing home, you’re angry. You trusted that the people entrusted to take care of your loved one took their job seriously. You never thought they your loved one would be in worse shape in a nursing home than they were living on their own.

If you think that your mom or dad is the victim of nursing home neglect, you have to act fast. The first thing you need to do is put your concerns into writing. Make sure the nursing home administrator is aware of your concerns. The next thing you need to do is start looking for a different nursing home. You don’t want to force your mom or dad to stay there any longer than necessary. The last thing you want to do is contact an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer in Columbia.

Has Your Loved One’s Physical Condition Deteriorated?

Most people don’t get to visit the nursing home more than a couple times a week. As much as you love your parent, you have a life to live too. You have a job and a family. You do your best to visit as often as possible.

If you start to notice that your mom or dad looks the worse for wear, ask to speak to the nurse or doctor. Find out if they’re eating. Ask to see their chart and make sure they’re being given their medication on time. Ask if there is a schedule that can show how often they bathe. Make sure their clothes are clean and laundered.

If you suspect that your loved one is not being taken care of, call and speak with an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer. They can review your case and let you know what you should do.

Does Your Loved One Seem Sad or Depressed?

When you do visit with your loved one, how do they seem? Are they quiet and withdrawn or do they seem happy? The emotional affect of any nursing home resident is usually the first sign that they’re being abused or neglected. If they’re sad all the time or cry more often than usual, they may be neglected.

Talk to the nurses and doctors and find out if anything wrong. Has their medication been changed? Did something happen that has caused them to be sadder than usual? You need to ask the hard questions in order to find out what’s going on. You may be the only person that can stand between your loved one being neglected or treated properly.

As much as you felt responsible for caring for your loved one at home, you still have to look out for them. While most nursing homes are good, some simply don’t take their responsibilities to their residents seriously. Or, it could be a matter of one bad apple spoiling the bunch.

Contact an Experienced Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina

If your loved one is being neglected in a nursing home, they may have a claim for damages. Call and speak with an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer in Columbia right away.

Nursing homes are supposed to take good care of their residents. If that didn’t happen, they need to be held accountable. Call and schedule your free initial consultation. An experienced attorney can meet with you and your family and determine the best court of action.