Colorado Nursing Home Negligence Attorney

When most people hear the words “nursing home abuse,” they immediately imagine physical abuse. But in reality, there are seven different types of nursing home abuses recognized by the National Center on Elder Abuse. Each type of abuse has its own unique signs and symptoms to watch for, and family members should be aware of these abuses. Any type of nursing home abuse is devastating and we’re here to help support your family through the process of healing from the effects of abuse.

• Physical Abuse – the elderly are at risk of being physically abused and injured. Examples of physical abuse include burning, pushing, or shaking an elderly resident. Physical abuse can also involve using drugs inappropriately, improper use of physical restraints, and force-feeding. Signs of physical abuse include scars, lacerations, bruises, broken bones, marks from restraints, reports of being slapped or kicked, and changes in personality or behavior.
• Sexual Abuse – caregivers who have non-consensual sex with an elderly resident are guilty of sexual abuse. Any type of sexual contact with an elder who is unable to consent is also sexual abuse. This includes sexual assault, rape, sodomy, and taking nude pictures. Signs include unexplained STDs, genital infections, or bruises on genitals.
• Emotional Abuse – when a caregiver inflicts emotional pain and suffering on an elderly resident, this is emotional abuse. It can include verbal assaults, humiliation, threats, intimidation, yelling, and isolation. Symptoms of emotional abuse include suddenly becoming withdrawn, agitation, depression or anxiety.
• Neglect – refusing to properly care for an elderly person, dementia patient, or resident can be considered neglect. Neglect can include withholding food, improper supervision, failure to perform daily hygiene, or letting an incapacitated person sit in urine or excrement. Signs of neglect include unsanitary or hazardous living conditions, untreated bed sores, malnutrition, and dehydration.
• Abandonment – if a caregiver deserts an elderly or incapacitated senior, they are guilty of abandonment. Signs of abandonment include verbal reports of abandonment or finding an elderly patient alone in a public place or uncared for in a facility.
• Financial – financial abuse is one of the most common forms of elder abuse. It’s the illegal use of an elderly person’s money or property, and it includes forging checks, coercing an elderly person to sign documents, taking cash from them, and stealing possessions. Signs of financial abuse include changes in the bank account, seeing large amounts of money withdrawn, and changes to important documents, such as wills.
• Self-neglect – this form of abuse is when an elder engages in behaviors that threaten their own safety or health. This is most often seen with dementia patients and includes refusal to drink or eat, improper use of medications, and refusal to perform daily hygiene. Signs include sudden homelessness, living with dangerous conditions, failure to wear glasses or hearing aids, and living in unsanitary conditions.