Signs of Elder Abuse : Long Beach Attorney

Nearly 2 million elderly individuals currently reside in nursing homes in the U.S. Nursing home facilities are wonderful live-in resources that are designed to provide personalized healthcare in a comfortable environment. However, too often, nursing home residents fall victim to various forms of abuse. Often, abuse in nursing homes results in emotional anguish, physical discomfort, injury, and even death. If you or a loved one has become a victim of nursing home abuse, contact The McIntosh Law Group, we specializes in legal claims against liable parties.

While we all want to believe that our loved ones are safe and content in their nursing homes, statistically, more than 30 percent of nursing homes across the U.S. are guilty of inflicting some sort of abuse upon their residents. This abuse may be physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, and even medical malpractice.

If your loved one has been the victim of elder abuse, it's time to defend your loved ones against this abuse by filing a formal complaint and legal claim. Your actions may not only help to compensate your loved one for his or her abuse, but they may also help to prevent future abuse of other nursing home residents. Contact our Long Beach Elder Abuse Lawyer today to get started.

Learn More About Elder Abuse

There are many different types of nursing home abuse. Here is an overview of some of the types of abuse that your loved ones may suffer:

• Physical abuse - this involves hitting, slapping, burning, restraining, and the reckless dispensing of medicine.


• Neglect - this is a form of abuse in which a nursing home resident is deprived of food, comfort, water, heat, cooling, clothing, medication, or even hygiene care, such as teeth brushing and bathing.


• Psychological - this is one of the most damaging types of abuses that may take years to repair. Psychological abuse may involve shouting, swearing, using frightening language, threats, lies, blaming, ignoring, and even humiliating.


• Financial - when a nursing home resident is financially abused, the resident is the victim of illegal or unauthorized use of their financial assets, including property, cash, credit, valuables, and pension.


• Sexual - sexual abuse involves forcing a nursing home resident to take part in sexual activities without the victim's consent.

While you may not be able to reverse the effects of abuse, you may be able to stop the abuse if you are able to detect it in time.

Here are some of the physical signs of elder abuse:

• Bruising - especially on the upper arms where the resident may have been shaken
• Cuts or other unexplained lesions
• Abrasions, bed sores, and friction burns
• Bruises that are at various stages of healing
• Rope or restraint burns on arms and legs
• Cigarette burn marks
• Broken bones or fractures
• Attempts by nursing home staff to conceal parts of a resident's body from friends and family members
• Medicine overdoses
• Sensitivity to touch

Here are some signs of elder neglect:

• Bed sores, ulcers, and pressure sores
• Unexplained weight loss
• Soiled clothing and linens
• Dehydration and malnutrition
• Poor coloration
• Sunken eyes and facial features
• Untreated health conditions, sometimes resulting in infections
• Unsanitary or unhealthy living conditions
• Isolation
• Detachment by victim

Here are some signs of physiological abuse to look out for:

• Depression and extreme behavior changes, such as apathy, withdrawal, anxiety, and aggression
• Eagerness to please or fear of displeasing
• Signs of fear - particularly oriented at a specific staff member
• Apprehension before, during, or after a visit from a care giver
• Fear of speaking for oneself when caregiver is present
• Mood changes
• Trembling
• Lack of eye contact, cowering, clinging behavior

Here are some signs of financial abuse to be aware of:

• Unexplained or unauthorized withdrawals from a savings or checking account
• Unexplained spending
• Transfer of assets to a relative or friend
• Disappearance of assets such as clothing and jewelry
• Recently written or altered Will
• Addition of the caregiver's name to the resident's banking account

Here are some signs of sexual abuse in nursing homes:

• Pain or injury to the genital or abdominal area, including bruising and bleeding
• New sexually transmitted disease
• Difficulty walking and sitting because of abuse to genital area
• Torn, stained, or soiled underclothes
• Frequent urinary tract infections
• Problems with urinary catheters

If you or a family member are a victims of Long Beach elder abuse, you don't have to deal with the abuse alone. We encourage you to contact one of our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys who specialize in managing cases like yours. We offer a free consultation and will work hard to pursue justice on behalf of each of our clients. Call today to get started with a free case evaluation.