You were sitting near your phone when it went off. You answered to a frantic parent saying that you needed to come get them out of the nursing home. You had no idea what happened, but you quickly went to their nursing home to see what was going on.
When you arrived, you found your loved one sleeping soundly, much to your surprise. The nurse asserted that they had been acting unusual and made a call out of confusion. You don’t agree because you know your loved one doesn’t have any signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s that could lead to confusion.
For your loved one’s best interests, you decide to take them out of the nursing home that night. You woke them, and in their haze, you took them to the hospital. There, you found out that they were dehydrated, overmedicated and had been injured from appeared to be either a fall or physical violence.
This kind of situation should be shocking, but the reality is that it isn’t as unusual as you’d think. Many people suffer at the hands of nursing home staff members. That abuse is sometimes covered up by overmedicating patients. It’s often compounded with negligence, like failing to provide food or water.
In this kind of case, using medical records is a great way to address the situation and to make sure the nursing home is aware that your loved one was hurt. You can also start to take steps toward a claim, so your loved one’s care is paid for and their suffering is in vain. It’s necessary to hold those who would hurt the elderly accountable for their actions.