Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Physical abuse
Some of the more commonly observed types and signs include:
Assault
Battery
Sexual Assault
Sexual Battery
Rape
Unreasonable physical restraint
Prolonged or continual deprivation of food or water
Use of a physical or chemical restraint or psychotropic medication for any purpose not consistent with that authorized by the physician
Giving too much medication
Not giving needed medication
Unexplained injuries
Caretaker cannot adequately explain condition
Open wounds, cuts, bruises or welts
Elder reports of being slapped or mistreated
Slapping, pushing, shaking, beating
Forcing an older person to stay in a room

Neglect
Some of the more commonly observed types include:
Physical neglect: disregard for the necessities of daily living
Medical neglect: lack of care for existing medical problems
Failure to prevent dehydration, malnutrition, and bed sores
Failure to assist in personal hygiene, or in the provision of food, clothing, or shelter
Unsanitary and unclean conditions
Infections
Failure to protect from health and safety hazards
Poor access to medical services

Verbal and emotional abuse
Creating situations harmful to the resident's self-esteem.

Possible signs of verbal or emotional abuse may include resident behavior such as:
Emotionally upset or agitated
Extremely withdrawn and non-communicative
Unusual behavior (sucking, biting, rocking)
Humiliating, insulting, frightening, threatening or ignoring behavior towards family and friends
Wanting to be isolated from other people

Other warning signs
Other signs to look for if you think nursing home abuse or negligence has occurred include the following:
Injuries requiring emergency treatment or hospitalization
Any incident involving broken bones, especially a fractured hip
Any injury or death occurring during or shortly after an episode of wandering (including outside the facility) when the staff is not aware that the resident is missing for some period of time
Heavy medication or sedation
Rapid weight loss or weight gain without physician or family notification and a change in treatment being provided
Unexplained or unexpected death of the resident
One nursing home resident injures another resident
Resident is frequently ill, and the illnesses are not promptly reported to the physician and family