Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Houston, TX
If you are worried about your elderly loved one, contact a Houston, TX nursing home abuse lawyer for help. It is a hard decision to place your family members in a nursing home, but it is often a necessary one so that they may receive the care they need. However, sometimes the system fails them. When this occurs, many different parties may be held responsible for the abuse that occurs. This may include nurses, doctors, other staff members, and even the owners of the nursing home themselves. To explore the options available to you and your elderly loved one, contact Keith B. French Law, PLLC for help.
Signs of Abuse
You know your elderly loved one better than anyone else. Signs of abuse at first may appear mild and hard to notice. However, if you ever notice a change in your loved one’s behavior, it is important to to question them and the staff of the nursing home. Otherwise, later down the line the victim’s abuse will worsen. Common symptoms include:
- Unexplained bruises: if your loved one does not have a medical condition that causes bruising, this can be a serious sign of concern
- Change in behavior: someone who was once outgoing may become extremely introverted
- Signs of PTSD: if you raise your hand to high-five your loved one and they flinch, they may be suffering from abuse
- Weight loss: unexplained sudden weight loss can be an indicator that the person is not being fed properly
- Bedwetting: some people can become so scared of their caretakers that they would rather wet the bed than contact their caretakers
These are just a few signs of abuse. As aforementioned, you know your loved one best. If they act out of character, it is best to investigate the cause with the help of a Houston nursing home abuse lawyer.
Why Abuse Occurs
While abuse should never occur at any level, caretakers at a nursing home are only human. They may experience bad days just like everyone else. That does not give them an excuse to take their bad days out on their patients, but this is often what happens. If a patient is difficult or requires extra special patience, some caretakers are unable to provide that and instead turn to abuse to try to keep your elderly loved one silent. It is important to hold abusers accountable because they should never be hurting anyone to begin with.
What to Do
You go for your regular visit with your loved one. You notice some changes. They have a few mysterious bruises. They seem much thinner. They are quiet and are not engaging in the conversation. Something is wrong. What should you do? The first thing to do is ask the nursing home staff what is happening. It is best to get multiple opinions on the matter. Sometimes bruises can be due to medical issues caused by aging. Weight loss can also be symptoms of many other serious illnesses. It is best to check on the health of your loved one.
If there is no given reason for the changes that makes sense, you should contact a lawyer for help immediately. You need to protect your loved one, and the sooner you contact a lawyer, the sooner they will be able to get the treatment that they deserve — and the party in the wrong can be held accountable. Contact a Houston nursing home abuse lawyer at Keith B. French Law, PLLC for help.
