When you put your aging parent or spouse in a nursing care facility, you are placing your trust in the nursing home staff to care and comfort your loved one. If this trust becomes eroded through instances of negligence or abuse, it can feel awful.
Elder abuse is real, and it happens too often in nursing care facilities. If you have learned recently your spouse or parent has suffered bruises or other harm from elder abuse, a Tulsa bruises lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you get informed of any possible rights you might have in filing a negligence lawsuit against the nursing home. We can help you understand the steps involved in seeking financial compensation for damages and losses related to the treatment of your loved one.
Call a member of our team today.
Knowing What to Look For
If you suspect your elderly loved one is being mistreated, you should keep an eye out for the little things that could indicate negligence or abuse in the nursing home. According to the National Institute on Aging, many signs could indicate abuse or neglect.
For instance, there may be unexplainable bruises. Look for indicators of behavior differences with your senior in the nursing home, such as becoming hostile, not sleeping, and not partaking in activities they previously enjoyed. Possible trouble signs might be explanations of bruises that are inconsistent, or not being allowed to be alone privately with the elderly resident.
You may also start to notice the small things such as full trash bins, messy community areas, or piles of unwashed towels, bedsheets, or garments. You may see other residents looking unwell. Your loved one may show nervous symptoms or a lost gaze. These symptoms could be indications of ongoing physical, mental, or emotional abuse.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Bruises are just one result of physical abuse that may occur with a senior in a nursing home. Other forms of physical abuse of seniors can range from:
- Someone physically grabbing and twisting the skin, pushing forcefully, or even punching or kicking a senior’s body. Any one of these actions could cause an elderly person to fall easily, which may lead to a fracture, more bruises, or bone breaks.
- Sexual abuse: Bruises can appear on a senior’s genital area. Look for bruising on their thighs, arms, breasts, and neck. This could indicate signs that your loved one was sexually abused.
- Emotional abuse: If your aging parent or spouse is overly agitated, this could be a sign of emotional abuse from a staff member or another resident. Watch how your nursing home resident interacts with the other residents and with staff. You may see a sign that indicates bullying or emotional abuse.
- Neglect: If you see your senior becoming withdrawn, moody, insular, and not taking part in any activities being offered, that could be signs of abuse and possible negligence from the staff.
For a free legal consultation with a Tulsa Bruises Lawyer serving nationwide, call (800) 794-0444
How Bruises Appear
A blow can break blood vessels under the skin, causing blood to leak into the tissue, which appears as a bruise, according to Mayo Clinic. Bruises can happen in different ways from:
- A forceful impact on the skin
- A hard grab
- A physical punch
- A fall onto something hard
If your loved one shows bruises, it’s crucial to ask questions of your loved one, the nurse, other floor staffers, and possibly the nursing home manager. If they are unable to provide adequate answers to your questions about the bruises, then you can call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. A Tulsa bruises lawyer can investigate the conditions at your loved one’s nursing home to see if neglect or abuse occurred.
Tulsa Bruises Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Abuse or Neglect
How to proceed is always a tough decision for the caretakers of elderly seniors. If you are certain of abuse of your aging spouse or parent in the nursing home, there are certain small steps you can take on your own to learn more.
In your visits, try to gather as much evidence (pictures, videos) of conditions in the nursing home. You may even want to speak to other residents if all signs point to elder abuse.
However, the subject of physical abuse in a nursing home is difficult to uncover at times. That is why it is hard to go it alone on these types of cases. Your abused loved one may refuse to talk about anything, either out of fear or shame. You may have difficulty getting other residents to speak about it. The staff may monitor your visits.
Click to contact our Tulsa Bruises Lawyers today
Seek Legal Help
You have the option to work with a law firm that deals with issues of negligence and elder abuse in nursing homes. The lawyers are trained in cases of negligence and can help you in ways you may not have even considered.
You will not pay any upfront fees when you reach out to Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. We collect our fee for services from a percentage of the award settlement that the firm is able to recover for damages in your case.
A Tulsa bruises lawyer can support you and your family for any injustice in a nursing home environment. We have seen cases of elder abuse, including physical, mental and emotional abuse, for years in nursing homes. Our team understands the nuances of negligence and can help you bring forth a case.
We can explain the steps of a lawsuit against a nursing home and can clarify the information needed at every step in the process. Our work is geared to help you seek damages and win a favorable financial settlement for your elderly loved one in the nursing home. Contact us today to find out more about our services.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form