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Newsletter Issue No. 10 |
Preventing Elderly AbuseA few tips on recognizing in preventing elderly abuse are provided.
Obviously, physical signs of abuse would be a major warning that abuses are occurring. Bruises or other contusions are often indications of physical assaults. Similarly, marks around the wrist and collar could be signs of having been bound or restrained. Any visual appearance of these types of marks should never be taken lightly. They can be indicative of a severely dangerous situation and possibly removing the resident from the home immediately maybe the best course of action to take. The lack of care can also indicate instances of elderly abuse. For example, if the physical appearance of the resident starts to look frail then is there is the possibility that the person is not being fed properly. Also, if the person is embodying a number of sickly traits they may not be receiving medicine they're required. Some may assume such negligent behavior is not elderly abuse. Well, assuredly it is since it is the responsibility of the nursing home to provide the agreed upon medical care when the resident was first admitted. A little extra diligence goes a long way when it comes protecting the elderly from harm. This is why it is critical never to dismiss any potential abuse out of hand. Abuse only gets worse and never gets better and that is why one must always be vigilant and look for obvious warning signs. ASK A PHILADELPHIA LAWYER... TO FIND OUT WHETHER A LAWYER AT ANAPOL SCHWARTZ CAN HELP.One Reason for Elderly AbuseThe most common reason for elderly abuse is examined.A common visual image of nursing home elderly abuse centers on the fact that the employees might be cruel people who have a predisposition to violence. Sadly, this is true in many cases. However, is not true in all cases as many times elderly abuse is the result of benign neglect and improper care. This raises several questions regarding why such poor care is provided. After all, if the people running the nursing home are professionals how can such neglectful elderly abuse occur? As with any profession, there will be various levels of skill from employee to employee period a nursing home be no different. Some employees will have a great deal of knowledge in their job while others may be novices to it. In some cases, the lack of knowledge may very well be the result of inadequate training. When an employee lacks the proper training to handle their duties then number of deficiencies can be present period in some cases, these deficiencies can reach the level of elderly abuse. Now, by no means is this meant as an excuse for instances of elderly abuse. When a nursing home fails to provide the proper amount of training then the nursing home is being very grossly negligent in its duties. Therefore, it is required that the all employees are properly trained so as to avoid any instances of neglectful elderly abuse. Sadly, many nursing homes simply do not take these necessary steps and unfortunate occurrences result. This is why so many nurse homes find themselves on the receiving end of a lawsuit. It is a nursing homes responsibility to make sure its staff is up to par when it comes to caring for residents. This is why providing proper training is important. To deviate from this would be a grossly negligent breach of care. ASK A PHILADELPHIA LAWYER... TO FIND OUT WHETHER A LAWYER AT ANAPOL SCHWARTZ CAN HELP. |
Properly Dealing with Instances of Elderly Abusehere is a certain protocol one should follow when addressing elderly abuse.No one wants to see their parents suffer. That is why anyone who places their parents into it a nursing home discovers that elderly abuse has occurred they become immediately incensed. This is understandable. Who would want to see anyone who has abused their parents get away with such horrible behavior? Honestly, anyone who wishes to exact punitive actions on those responsible is justified. Actually, they are even encouraged because through showing they will not tolerate such behavior they contribute to reducing the sheer volume of instances of elderly abuse. However, there is a right way and wrong way to go about this. 
Sadly, many people will lose control of their anger and directly confront the nursing home's staff. In some instances, they might even threaten physical violence against the staff. This is categorically the wrong way to go about addressing the situation. Yes, it is hard to keep control of oneself when one is extremely upset and angry. However, running off and threatening people certainly will not help your cause. Also, there is no special dispensation from the law for making threats against another person. There are mechanisms in place to deal with instances of elderly abuse and these mechanisms need to be followed to the letter of the law. The first step is to get the elderly patient out of the environment where they may be subjected to abuse. The next step to take may involve seeking criminal charges against the perpetrators. The third step would be to seek civil remedy for any elderly abuse negligence that has occurred. All three of these methods are logical and do not involve any violations of the law are any situations which could undermine taking legal action against the negligent party. While your anger is justified actions that derive from anger may not be justified. This is why one always needs to act smartly when addressing issues of elderly abuse. |
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