When families transition their elderly family members into nursing homes in Indiana, their reasons for doing so may differ but many of them share the desire to have compassionate and reliable help with caring for people they love. Because the elderly is a vulnerable group of people who often rely on other people to help them make decisions about sensitive and personal topics, it is critical that families watch for signs of abuse and neglect.
According to Next Avenue, once a family has moved their loved one into a care facility of any kind, they should be vigilant in watching for signs that may indicate that their family member is being mistreated or ignored. Some of the areas they should pay attention to include physical injuries resulting from poor nutrition, living conditions that lack adequate sanitation, suspicious injuries with no reasonable explanation, lacking physical hygiene and a noticeable decrease in physical activity or movement.
Families can help monitor the care and treatment of their elderly loved ones by visiting nursing facilities regularly. If they do notice that something seems amiss and are concerned about negative changes in their loved one’s mental or physical health, they should immediately report their concerns to the proper authorities.
Medicare.gov suggests that families be aware of the grievance policy at the facility where their loved ones are living. The information provided should allow families of patients with a clear understanding of how to proceed with complaints of any kind. Some of the people that families may consider verbalizing their complaint to include their loved one’s doctor, supervisors, the director of nursing and a social worker if there is one.
