ABUSE INDICATORS

Nursing home abuse can be physical, verbal, or financial. Physical abuse is the intentional or unintentional infliction of pain or injury by a nursing home employee, upon a resident. Verbal abuse takes place when a nursing home employee threatens or causes a resident to suffer emotional distress. Financial abuse involves a nursing home's illegal or improper use of a resident's property or money for personal gain. The examples listed below are common indicators and types of nursing home abuse:

I Resident had multiple bruises, a broken arm, and there was no report or investigation of the cause.

II A resident assessed as at risk for skin breakdown developed a stage III and a stage IV bed/pressure sore because the staff failed to turn and position the resident as instructed.

III A resident, identified as at high risk for falls, fell and sustained severe injuries due to the lack of supervision and care.

IV Nursing home employees provided residents with the wrong medication.

V Resident lost ten (10) pounds in one month and there was no documentation that the facility was aware of the weight loss or that any plan was in place to prevent future weight loss.

VI A resident who is diabetic had to wait a month for an appointment with a specialist to check a swollen foot.

VII A nursing home employee, with a prior record of criminal activity, sexually abused a resident.

VIII The nursing home failed to properly supervise a resident who was abusing other residents.

IX A night shift employee threatened to injure a resident if he left his room at anytime during the night.

X A nursing home employee persuaded a resident to sell personal property to the nursing home employee.