Breckenridge Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Preventing and recognizing nursing home abuse is key to ensuring your loved ones remain safe. Here are some tips to ensure your loved ones are taken care of:

• Visit your loved one as often as possible, and try to come at unpredictable times. You don’t necessarily have to stay for a long time on each visit. If you frequently drop by just to say hello or see your relative for a few minutes, the staff will know that you could show up any time. This encourages staff members to always be on their best behavior around your family member.
• You are also more likely to notice any concerning changes in your loved one if you visit frequently. If this isn’t possible because you live far away or have a hectic schedule with work and family, consider asking other relatives to drop in on your family member.
• If you notice your relative has any changes in mood or personality, such as becoming quiet and withdrawn when they were previously more gregarious, ask their caregivers about it in a non-accusatory way. For example, “I notice Mom hasn’t seemed like herself on the last few visits. Do you think she might be depressed? Should we schedule a doctor’s visit?” This serves the dual purpose of letting staff members know you’re paying attention and ensuring your relative gets to see a doctor. It’s important to understand that behavioral or mood changes can be a sign of elder abuse but could also be caused by physical or mental health issues unrelated to their care.
• Knowing what your relative is usually like can also help you recognize issues with overmedicating or undermedicating. If you often notice that your loved one behaves like they haven’t had their medication, the staff may not be managing prescriptions carefully.
• Make note of any bruises, scratches, or new injuries, especially if these are out of the ordinary. You should never accuse staff members of hurting your relative because you don’t want a care home employee to be angry with them after you leave. However, you can ask how an injury happened or if anything can be done to help prevent further injuries.
• If nursing home staff members brush off your concerns or don’t seem to know or care how a significant injury happened, that could be a sign of a problem. Quietly take pictures of your loved one’s injuries, write down what you do know, and talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer.
• If your family member has bed sores, that means the nursing facility staff aren’t taking care of them properly. Bed sores occur in immobile patients who tend to lie in one position for all or most of the day. They can be prevented by regularly moving or turning the patient, so if someone has bed sores, this is almost always a sign of neglect. Speak with a Breckenridge nursing home abuse lawyer right away.
• When your family member suddenly has financial problems or complains of being unable to afford something, this could be a sign of financial abuse, which is also common among elderly individuals. People who manage an elderly relative’s finances may also notice unusual withdrawals, new people being added to accounts, and other concerning developments.
• Getting to know the people who care for your loved one is also a good idea. You don’t have to be their best friend, but learning their names and exchanging a few pleasantries can help you build rapport. If you’re always polite and friendly, staff members may be more inclined to update you about your relative’s condition or let you know if there’s a problem. However, if there always seems to be someone new taking care of your family member, that may be a sign that the facility has a high turnover rate due to poor management.