Nobody likes to imagine somebody hurting their loved ones, particularly when said loved ones cannot defend themselves. Taking care of your elderly loved ones is of paramount importance, which is likely why your family made the decision to transition your loved one into assisted living or nursing home facilities in the first place.
However, both nursing home abuse and neglect are rampant in many facilities. It is important to understand the difference between abuse and neglect. According to Senior Caring, abuse is active mistreatment while neglect is failure to provide adequate care.
What are the different kinds of nursing home abuse?
Between nursing home abuse and neglect, many people fear abuse more. However, it is likely the less common of the two offenses. There are many forms of nursing home abuse, and they include the “most common” varieties of abuse like physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Elders can be very vulnerable to this type of abuse, particularly if they have difficulty with mobility.
Another common variety of elder abuse is financial abuse. This can happen when a third party tries to control or otherwise hijack an elder’s financial assets. Sometimes, nursing home personnel commit this kind of abuse by taking advantage of the caregiving relationship they have with the elder.
What are the different kinds of neglect?
Again, neglect is failure to provide care for the individual in concern. This is very common at overcrowded nursing homes who may suffer from a lack of staff. Even if the nursing home staff is working very hard, they may not be able to appropriately care for all of the senior citizens at the facility. Signs of neglect may include poor hygiene, loss of weight, bedsores or dirty surroundings.
