Unfortunately for some families with members in nursing homes or other care facilities, abuse, neglect, and negligence are very real problems. After you have noticed a pattern of signs pointing to the possibility that this type of treatment is happening, you may be asking yourself, “What now?” How can you take action against this mistreatment and make sure that your loved one is safe and that this abuse will not continue to happen ? Can your loved one be compensated for the medical bills and pain and suffering that they have gone through due to this mistreatment?
These types of questions are completely normal for families that find themselves in this unfortunate situation. If you suspect that your loved one may be a victim of some sort of nursing home negligence, there are a few general steps that you should take in order to ensure you are taking the best strides toward a more positive future for your family.
1. Speak with your loved one.
Before you proceed in any other way, you must first speak with your loved one about the situation. Just because you may be seeing signs that mistreatment is occurring does not always mean that it is. One of the best ways to get confirmation is to hear it from your loved one yourself. This can be difficult, however, because in a lot of circumstances, people in these situations do not want to talk about what has happened to them. This can often lead to them getting defensive or trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
The best way to handle conversations like this is to reassure your loved one of why you are bringing up this topic. You care about them, and you do not want to see them mistreated. By reporting actions like this, you are not going to get them in trouble or create a bad reputation for them. There is no way that the situation is going to get better if there is no action taken.
2. Take the right approach.
Unless your loved one’s life is immediately in danger, there is no reason to elicit panic. Talk to your family calmly about the situation. Assure your loved one that it is all going to be okay. The calmer you are, the more smoothly the conversations will go.
After you have spoken with your loved one, it may be time to talk to someone on the staff of the nursing home. This does not have to be the caretaker that is directly mistreating your loved one. This can be a supervisor, another caretaker, or even the owner. It is very important to remain calm during this interaction as well. This conversation should not begin as accusatory, just try to hear both sides of the story.
This conversation may not be as fruitful as you may have expected it to be. Most care facilities will stand up for their staff, no matter what. Whether everyone knows about this abuse or neglect or it was completely kept a secret, most facilities will not outright admit to anything wrong. Some may work with you, while some may take this accusation as negative, reacting badly. No matter what their reaction is, bringing up these worries to the facility itself is a good starting place when reporting this misconduct.
3. Contact an attorney.
There are personal injury attorneys that focus their practice in nursing home negligence cases. Finney Law Office, LLC is located in the St. Louis, Missouri, area and is comprised of lawyers who are experienced in working with family’s just like yours. If you suspect that a loved one is being mistreated in their nursing home or care facility, contact our office today to talk about your situation. We want to help you through this tough and confusing time.
Continue exploring this guide:
- Nursing Home Guide Negligence
- Choosing the Right Nursing Home
- Preparing Your Loved One for This Transition
- Keeping an Eye Out For Abusive Behaviors
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