Your loved one has aged, and as much as you wanted to avoid it, the time has come to place them into a nursing home. Doing so is safer for them and gives you the peace of mind that they’re cared for.
The trouble is that you don’t trust others to do their due diligence in caring for your loved one. You put your parent in the nursing home just a few weeks ago, and in that time, you noticed substantial changes in their behavior. They’re lethargic. They’ve lost weight. The nursing home room doesn’t smell good, and you think your loved one may not be making it to the restroom in time.
These could be signs of neglect in a nursing home. Nursing homes and their staff members are required to care for the people there and to make sure they’re eating, drinking, getting baths or showers and otherwise staying happy while in the facility. Nursing home staff members are not allowed to use medications to subdue patients to make them easier to work with.
It is relatively common for people to fall in nursing homes, to develop infections or to generally have a decline in their health. However, if your loved one suddenly develops illnesses, injuries or other problems that were not an issue before moving into the nursing home, it’s time to ask questions.
Our site has more on nursing home abuse and what you should do if you believe that your loved one is a victim of neglect. With help, you can prevent any further suffering.