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It is disheartening to see a loved one living in a nursing home receive substandard care. In recent times, there have been several cases of loved ones getting injured due to nursing home neglect or abuse. There is simply no reason to wait until things get out of hand before reporting the situation to a relevant body or organization that can address it. Involving a personal injury attorney can be very helpful in such situations. However, there are certain things you need to first know before deciding to report nursing home abuse.

Understanding Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

There is a significant rise in elder abuse across the country with about 5 million seniors potentially abused annually. Unfortunately, not many of these cases are reported to the relevant authorities. There are several reasons why these cases remain unheard. Sometimes, it may be due to the inability of loved ones to frequently check on their parents or elderly ones as they should. But it might also be due to the patients’ inability to communicate happenings around them due to some physical limitations or memory issues.
Seniors living in nursing homes are vulnerable to being neglected and abused. Patient harm can occur as a result of a breach of duty in the nursing home (neglect) or by a person causing intentional harm (abuse.) Elder abuse can occur in various forms, including financial, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. Not all of these situations are easy to identify.

Nursing home neglect could happen in various ways ranging from worries about the facility to personal hygiene and unsanitary living conditions. Some forms of neglect include the following neglect categories:

• Emotional or social neglect;
• Personal hygiene neglect;
• Neglect of basic needs; and
•  Medical neglect.

Advisably, there is no need to hesitate to contact and involve an experienced personal injury attorney when you observe that your loved one is not treated fairly or is receiving substandard treatment.

How to Report a Nursing Home Abuse to Your Personal Injury Attorney

First and foremost, make sure to inform the nursing home staff about any concerns as regarding your loved one’s care. Try as much as possible to be specific about detail when speaking with them. Just so you know, there is no better way to create a workable plan for better treatment of your loved one by the staff than this.
Do not hesitate to call for professional assistance when you suspect someone is intending harm to your loved one or the treatment has turned out to become an apparent abuse. Contacting the social worker or primary health physician of your loved one can be very helpful at this point. You can also consult the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) in Florida. Also do not hesitate to call for emergency services in case of an emergency.