What Are the Signs of Neglect in Nursing Homes for Veterans?

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A nursing home, especially one for veterans, should be a safe place. Veterans have dedicated their lives to serving their country, so isn’t proper care in their golden years the absolute minimum we can provide them with?

All decent people think like this and we’d all agree with that. However, there are those who are not… Shall we say, nice? And sadly, some of these not-so-nice people end up working in nursing homes, which then become horrific places where elderly veterans are subjected to abuse, suffering, and neglect. 

The thing with veterans, and pretty much all older people, is that they’re very proud and they won’t always let you know they’re not being cared for in the right way, so it’s up to you to recognize the signs. Sometimes, they’re obvious, but sometimes they’re so subtle that you need to really pay close attention to notice them. 

In this article, we’ll show you how to spot those subtle signs that could be a reason for worry and possibly even legal action, so let’s start. 

How to Recognize the Signs of Neglect: 5 Ways

There are signs you see right away and then there are those you need to dig a bit deeper to find. Keep in mind that not all bruises mean your loved one is neglected so one one symptom on its own doesn’t necessarily mean you have anything to worry about; it could be just an elder being an elder. 

However, if it’s something too out of character for them or there are more symptoms, you might want to investigate.

1. Unexplained Bruises or Injuries

Bruises, cuts, even fractures are something you’re going to be concerned about because, how can you not be? The thing is, it might not be something to worry about. 

The way you differentiate a red flag from everything else is with the explanation your loved one gives you. Where did that bruise come from? How did you fracture your leg? If they don’t have a reasonable explanation, chances are, they’re neglected and not being looked after. 

2. Sudden Weight Loss or Malnutrition

The person losing weight all of a sudden, being too tired or too weak  means they’re either eating food that’s poor in quality or they aren’t eating enough. Either way, this isn’t something you can brush off and you have to act immediately. 

Malnutrition can have serious consequences, especially for veterans whose health could already be less than ideal. 

3. Poor Hygiene

If your loved one is a germaphobe who stopped taking showers all of a sudden, it’s not a good sign. 

But even if they don’t like showers and don’t care if they’re wearing the same clothes day after day, it’s still something to investigate because the staff are responsible for helping with daily hygiene, so if the elder in question looks unwashed, make sure to change that.

4. Bedsores or Ulcers

If they have bedsores or pressure ulcers because they aren’t moving enough, you need to take this up with the staff immediately. These issues are especially common with people who rely on staff to help them move around. 

They’re usually a clear sign of neglect and there’s nothing else to do but deal with the staff that’s not taking care of the resident. 

5. Withdrawal and Isolation

Everybody gets cranky, especially older people, but crankiness isn’t the same as isolation and avoiding spending time with other people. 

If the veteran won’t take part in activities they love anymore or if they refuse to talk to people, it can mean that they’re feeling neglected. All changes in behavior need to be handled right away, so don’t delay. 

How to Prevent and Address Neglect

The most obvious way to go about the issue of neglect is to just visit your loved one(s) on a regular basis, but make sure not to always come at the same time. You want to see how the environment is and how they interact with the staff because you’ll be able to pick up on the little patterns that are off, but not instantly obvious. 

You also need to make sure that the staff knows that the veteran has someone that will stand up for them in case things go wrong. With that being said, you don’t really need to be rude or impatient with the staff; try to build a friendly relationship with caregivers and administrators because that will allow you to let them know what you’re concerned about early on and they’ll probably be a lot more transparent with you. 

Of course, sometimes you just can’t resolve the issues, no matter how hard you try on your own, so you might need to reach out to a nursing home neglect lawyer. 

If all else fails, there’s always legal intervention and don’t wait until the last minute because your loved one deserves to be protected as soon as you’re able to confirm they’re neglected. 

Conclusion

This wasn’t a happy, perky topic to talk about, but it needed to be done. Sadly, elders in nursing homes all around the country get neglected, and if your loved one is facing that risk, too, you need to do something about it. 

You don’t need to threaten with a lawsuit right away, but it’s good to know that there are attorneys specialized for cases like these you can contact to help you handle the issue.