Many people are shocked to find that nursing home negligence isn’t that uncommon. Unfortunately, an individual that’s been abused may have a difficult time letting their loved ones know that they are being neglected or hurt. If your family member is in a nursing home and you’re concerned about their safety, there are five major signs of nursing home negligence that you need to look out for.

1- Poor Personal Hygiene

Even if your loved one isn’t able to fully take care of themselves, the nursing home staff should be helping them with their personal hygiene. If you have noticed that your loved one looks dirty, has messy hair or bedsores, then this is a sign that they are being neglected. The staff should be bathing them on a daily basis, brushing their hair and teeth, and changing their clothing.

2- Looking Abnormally Thin

It’s crucial that your loved one eats a nutritious diet on a consistent basis in order to remain healthy for as long as possible. If they look abnormally thin, then there may be a problem. The nursing home staff should be serving them nutritious meals and making sure that they are eating them. If your loved one hasn’t been eating enough or is refusing the meals altogether, then the staff should have alerted you that there is a problem.

3- Unexplained Or Frequent Injuries

It’s not uncommon for those that are frail or have limited motor skills to fall or hurt themselves. However, this shouldn’t be a common occurrence. If your loved one has unexplained or frequent injuries, then this may be a sign of neglect, and you need to address it immediately. The nursing home staff should have taken measures to ensure that all of their residents are safe. This includes making sure there are bed rails, grab bars, and ramps.

4- Changes In Personality

A lot of individuals attribute changes in their loved one’s personalities to them getting older. While some people may have less energy and not want to do as much as they used to, they shouldn’t experience new bouts of anxiety, anger, or seem to be withdrawn. If they do, this may be a sign that they are being abused by the staff at their nursing home.

5- Staff That Is Dismissive

Any time that you address issues with the staff, they should be more than willing to provide help or feedback. If they seem to be dismissive and do not want to talk to you, they may have something to hide, and this could be a sign of negligence.

If you have noticed any of the signs mentioned above, it may be time to see a lawyer specializing in nursing home negligence. It’s imperative you document anything that you find concerning, take pictures of injuries you have seen and get information from your loved ones about any issues that they have had. All of this information will help your lawyer determine whether or not they should proceed further with trying to collect compensation for nursing home neglect.