How to Immediately Protect a Loved One When You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse
One thing that is extremely important is that you treat anything that your loved one tells you with the utmost seriousness. Far too many people later regret not paying enough attention to their loved ones’ complaints of rough treatment or neglect. Speaking about being depressed or lonely is one thing – complaints of abuse are entirely different, and require immediate investigation and action.
If you visit your loved one and believe that they are in immediate danger as a result of warning signs or physical injuries that you observe, you must call 911 or the police without delay. In situations where the situation is not as urgent, there are other steps to be taken, but you should never allow anybody to remain in a situation that you believe is life threatening, and you cannot leave it in the hands of suspected abusers to address the situation. If you feel that the situation is less emergent, your first step is to call your local Adult Protective Services agency and report the situation. You will need to provide them with your loved one’s name, address, and the specifics of your concerns. Depending upon your complaint the agency will either act immediately or send out an investigator, working with other agencies to investigate the most appropriate action.
Elder abuse in nursing homes can take many different forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and financial abuse. If you observe or suspect any of these, it is important that you take action. If you are not certain about the correct action to take, contact the nursing home abuse attorneys at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers. We will take immediate action to protect your loved one.