When you trust your loved one to a nursing home, you expect them to receive – at the very least – care, attention, and respect. Unfortunately, there are times when that trust is broken, and there are signs of neglect or generally bad care, which could be anything from unexplained injuries and bruises to changes in behavior to medical issues like bedsores or being ill more often, and so on.

These can all be scary and upsetting for everyone involved, so it’s crucial to know what you can and should do if you suspect neglect in a nursing home – in that way, you can stop the problem as early as possible and put things right. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about what you can do. 

Recognize The Signs Of Neglect

If you want to do something because you think your loved one might be suffering from neglect (or worse, abuse) in a care home, you’ve really got to know what the signs are so you can spot them and then get the help you need.

One common sign of neglect is unexplained medical conditions like frequent illnesses and infections, including conditions like pneumonia, for example. All of these things can mean there’s poor hygiene in the care home, there’s not enough medical attention (or not the right kind of medical attention), or that there’s not enough staff, for example, and it’s a big sign that there’s an issue. 

You can also look out for physical signs of neglect like bedsores, dehydration, weight loss, and so on – these shouldn’t ever be the case if your loved one is being properly taken care of (and if your loved one is losing weight due to a medical condition, the team at a good care home will keep you informed and tell you what they’re doing about it). And there might be emotional changes as well, like your loved one becoming withdrawn and anxious or depressed. 

Then there’s the place itself – is it messy and unclean? Are there smells that linger and are really nasty (or that just shouldn’t be there)? Do the staff seem overwhelmed and stressed? These are all big problems that show the care home isn’t a place you want your loved one to be. 

Talk To Your Loved One 

It’s not always possible to get answers from your loved one about the care home they’re living in – they might not be mentally or physically able to understand what you’re asking or to give you the answers, but it’s worth asking the question if possible, as this can be a simple and quick way to get to the bottom of things. 

The key is to ask about it all very carefully and gently, and don’t make it sound judgemental or angry – you might upset your loved one, especially if they’re worried that they’ll get into trouble (which is a big sign in itself that something isn’t right).

So you could ask questions like if they’re feeling well cared for or if there have been times when they needed help and didn’t get it, for example. Their answers could give you some useful insights into what’s going on, so make sure they know you’re asking because you want to help, and that way they should be more open to telling you the truth rather than what they think you want to hear. 

Document Everything 

Once you think the care home your loved one is in is neglecting or even abusing them, you need to start documenting everything and making sure your records are as detailed as possible. If you need to take things further, including if you end up getting legal help, these notes could make a massive difference, and they can move the process on more quickly, which would be ideal for everyone involved. 

Some of the things you need to be making notes about include dates and descriptions of any incidents or anything you’ve spotted that doesn’t seem right, for example. Plus you’ll want to include photos of any bruises or injuries to your loved one, and ideally you’ll want to include copies of medical records or reports that talk about how your loved one’s health is getting worse or shows they’ve had to go to hospital a lot more frequently since they’ve been in the nursing home.

And of course, if you have meetings with the care home staff or management, always make notes and include them – they could be vital later on. 

In other words, the more detailed your notes are and the more of them you take, the stronger your case will be if you have to go down the legal route, so it’s always an important thing to do. 

Raise Your Concerns 

Although it might be tempting to jump straight to the legal route – and there can often be reasons to do that – the first thing to do is to raise your concerns with the care home itself. It might be that there’s been a misunderstanding, or staffing issues or treatment that the management hasn’t been aware of, and once they get told about it, they can do something to make positive changes. 

Although you’ll potentially be angry and upset when you’re talking to the care home team, you must stay calm and make sure you tell them about all your concerns – show them the evidence you’ve collected. Then, ask them what’s going to be done about it. It might take them some time to come up with a plan or at least put it into action, but if they know there’s a problem then they can get started, which is why this is an important step to take. 

Get Legal Help

If you’ve brought up your concerns to the care home and nothing changes or you weren’t taken seriously, it’s time to take the next step and get legal help – your loved one deserves the guidance a legal team can give them, and they’ll end up being a lot more protected because of it. 

Find a lawyer that specializes in care home neglect so you know they know what they’re doing and give them all the evidence you’ve collected, and they’ll be able to help you understand your loved one’s rights, work out whether you’ve got a case, and guide you through the entire process if you do. In that way, you can help your loved one and potentially other residents at the same time.