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What are signs and symptoms of neglect that I should look out for when I visit my mother in her nursing home?

Content Provided by Horwitz Horwitz & Associates

A common question we are asked from people with loved ones in long-term care facilities (nursing homes) is, "What are the signs and symptoms of nursing home abuse and neglect?"

Nursing Home Neglect

Neglect type injuries are subtler and more difficult to see. These include insufficient food and water, insufficient bathing opportunities, failure to change the resident's underclothes in a timely manner if using the toilet is an issue, failure to supply adequate bathing supplies such as shampoo and soap, failure to properly assist the resident who needs help bathing, eating, walking, etc., and verbal abuse.

Signs of Neglect

Signs of Verbal and Emotional Abuse

  • Emotionally upset or agitated
  • Withdrawn and non-communicative
  • Unusual behavior
  • Humiliating, insulting, threatening, or ignoring behavior towards family and friends
  • Want for isolation

Your loved one may be reluctant to talk about these issues, therefore you should keep your eyes and ears open for signs of neglect. Make sure the bathroom is clean, check for odors in the bed and on your loved one's clothing, check the condition of the hair and nails to make sure they are clean. Pay attention to how your friend or relative reacts to you, i.e.; do they seem to be depressed, does someone who used to be talkative now sit around with nothing to say, has there been an unexplained weight loss? These types of signs are not definite indications of abuse, but they should cause you investigate the situation carefully.

A FREE Consultation with our Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys can help ease your fears and protect your rights.

We invite you for a free telephone or in person consultation to discuss your case and any questions you may have. Most of our lawyers have more than 30 years of experience and we have an outstanding track record in helping our clients, as you can see in our Success Record. Please call our Chicago or Joliet Office Toll-Free at (866)-360-9310.

To learn more visit horwitzlaw.com.

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