There are numerous families out there who rely on nursing homes to care for their elderly loved ones. And while they would ever expect abuse to occur, it is something that happens far more often than most people think.

Nursing home abuse can cause significant injuries to the elderly, and family members must know how to recognize the signs and report the incident to the proper authorities. However, many situations go unreported. The elderly are left vulnerable to the actions of the party responsible for causing significant harm.

For those with family members in a nursing home, you should understand just how important it is to report nursing home abuse.

Fear of Staff Members and Intimidation

One of the reasons many nursing home residents fail to report abuse is because the person responsible for the harm often tries to intimidate the elderly, causing fear. The elderly may feel as though if they report the incident, nothing will be done to remove the responsible party, and the attacks may continue.

The action above is often a tactic of an abuser—filling the vulnerable party’s head with the idea that nobody will believe them.

Nobody Checking on the Elderly

Many times, when abuse occurs in a nursing home, it’s when the person responsible for the abuse identifies a vulnerable victim. Typically, a vulnerable person is someone whose family doesn’t come around often, or he or she doesn’t have many visitors, and there is nobody to report the incident.

The elderly is the only one left to report the incident, and with the tactics of fear and intimidation, the person responsible may go unpunished when the victim does not report the incident.

Obtaining Justice for Your Loved One

Reporting nursing home abuse can help your elderly loved one get closure, pursue compensation, protect their rights, and obtain justice. Reporting the situation as quickly as possible once you recognize the signs of nursing home abuse can help begin the investigation into the facility.

Whenever your elderly loved one suffers harm in a nursing home, it’s easy for them to feel like there’s nothing to stop it. You must recognize what signs could indicate your loved one is suffering abuse so you can report it on their behalf. The parties who may be responsible for nursing home abuse include:

• Staff members: This is often the result of a nursing home having a low staff-to-resident ratio. Staff members may neglect a resident, claiming they don’t have enough time to look after all residents in the facility. Bad staffing is no excuse for neglect or abuse.
• Visiting doctors: When your elderly loved one is bedridden, he or she may still receive in-facility visits from his or her primary doctor. You should know if the doctor has any history of malpractice or abuse. It is essential to monitor these interactions.
• Other residents: Some nursing home residents may have certain mental disorders that can put all others at risk of harm. However, in these situations, the facility can also be held accountable for failing to provide the necessary safety measures to prevent attacks between residents.

No matter who caused the harm, it’s essential to report the parties to receive a proper investigation of the facility.

At Williams Newman Williams, we take all reports of nursing home abuse seriously. We know the various entities responsible for investigating these claims and what should be sought out for evidence. We also recognize the parties who we may be able to take action against, including the attacker and the nursing home facility.

With our Jackson nursing home abuse attorneys on your side, you can feel confident in your position to pursue justice. Your family is our top priority from start to finish. We’ll do whatever we can to help you reach the most positive outcome possible and hold the responsible party financially accountable.

Call our firm at (601) 949-5080 today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your potential case with a skilled and tenacious advocate.