Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse in Maryland

When elderly members of our families or others who are unable to physically take care of themselves are placed in nursing homes in Maryland, the move is made to provide for their safe day-to-day care. But sometimes, the places that we trust to provide a healthy environment deliver just the opposite instead.

Unfortunately, there are cases of abuse and neglect in Maryland nursing homes all too frequently, so it is wise to know the warning signs of nursing home abuse in Maryland. It is also important to take action by contacting a compassionate nursing home abuse attorney, so that dangerous situations can be corrected and others can be spared harm in the future.

Nursing Home Abuse Can Take Many Different Forms

While there are numerous different ways that someone can suffer from nursing home abuse in Maryland, abusive situations may be divided into different categories:

The warning signs for each type of abuse differ. And when looking for any signs of abuse, it is important to understand what types of circumstances are considered normal for the individual in care.

For instance, one patient might bruise easily and may have entered the facility with substantial visible bruising that remains, while another rarely shows visible bruises, so the appearance of contusions may indicate that the individual has been subjected to abuse.

It is also important to keep in mind that overall changes in behavior or personality can indicate many different types of abuse, or possibly more than one type. Another warning flag of potential abuse of many types is raised when nursing home personnel discourage or refuse to allow visitors to speak to the resident without a staff member present.

Some of the More Common Signs of Physical Abuse

Abuse that affects a patient’s body, including sexual abuse and medical abuse, is often easier to detect than other forms of nursing home abuse in Maryland. When a resident is found to suffer from sprains, dislocations and broken bones without an adequate explanation, that is often a warning sign of abuse. The same is true for bruising, scars, bleeding, welts or signs of physical restraint.

When a patient is not taking medication properly, another potential warning sign of abuse arises. Even broken glasses may provide cause for concern. Conditions such as dehydration, weight loss and bed sores may indicate that the patient’s vital needs are being neglected by nursing home staff.

Signs of Abuse That are Harder to See

Other types of nursing home abuse may not be as readily apparent. Emotional abuse may be especially difficult to recognize because symptoms often mimic those of patients suffering from dementia. Emotional abuse may be suspected if a patient displays behavior that is unusual for them (though it may be common with others) such as thumb-sucking, rocking back and forth or frequent mumbling.

Warning signs of potential financial abuse include the addition of names to a patient’s bank cards or credit cards, withdrawals from bank accounts (particularly ATM withdrawals), changes made to life insurance policies, powers of attorney, wills or titles to property, and the receipt of unusual goods or services.

Learn More About Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

There are many additional situations that would be considered nursing home abuse that should be addressed.

For further information about the warning signs of nursing home abuse in Maryland, or to learn if a particular situation provides grounds for concern, it may be helpful to contact a Maryland attorney with experience handling nursing home abuse cases.