While our loved ones reside in nursing homes to help improve their overall quality of life and to give them the help and support they need, it’s unfortunately not unheard of to hear cases of abuse occurring in these safe environments.
Whether carried out by a member of staff or primary caregiver, it’s important that you show support and love to the family member or loved one who has gone through such an ordeal. This is the one way they’ll be able to recover and get better.
If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation such as this, today we’re going to explore the five key steps you need to take in order to help your loved one find their way past this life-changing event.
#1 – Remember That Everyone is Different
The first thing you might want to do is look up other cases that involve nursing home abuse and see what happened. While this can be great for research purposes and to help you stay informed, remember that every elder abuse case is different, and needs to be treated on an individual basis.
#2 – Taking Back Control
There are two types of people in this world; the first being someone who will state that their life has been ruined and they are permanently damaged, and those who will commit to a full recovery. It’s important to encourage your loved one to take back control over their life in order to move forward.
In addition to this approach, it’s important to keep in mind that nursing home abuse is a serious matter that can warrant legal action. Nursing home abuse is a form of personal injury, and seeking legal recourse can help hold those responsible, accountable for their misconduct. specialized nursing home abuse attorneys can help with navigating the legal complexities involved, and secure compensation for victims to enable them to take back control of their lives.
#3 – Organize Counselling
Counseling is important because a trained and licensed professional will be able to take a lot of different approaches and will understand how to talk about what can be such a sensitive issue. This may be in the form of one-on-one sessions, or by having someone like you present; it’s up to the affected individual.
There are plenty of different types of counseling and therapy available, so it’s important that you experiment to see what works best for your loved one. This may take several attempts to find the one that’s right for this situation, but this isn’t uncommon.
#4 – Be Available
Although it’s understandable that you’re going to make yourself as available to your loved one as possible, it’s important you’re aware that shock and other forms of post-ordeal effects can strike at any time of day and can occur months, even years after the events themselves.
Make sure you keep your phone on, and you maintain a consistent and reliable level of communication throughout. This will get less and less in time, but you won’t want to rush putting them into a new nursing environment.
#5 – Listen
No one knows the individual in question better than them themselves, which just shows why it’s so important to listen. While you may be clued up on what’s going on, follow a counselor’s advice or another healthcare professional, it’s important to listen to the individual’s needs and where they are at mentally.
Summary
Going through an event such as nursing home abuse can life altering, especially since the loved ones in these positions tend to be elderly and much more fragile. The most important thing to remember is to put them first and show your support to help them through this difficult time.
It is horrible to realize that so many nursing homes have problems. If you don’t have the money ti pay for extra help the family member may be abused. You have to pay attention.
I was seriously ill in February, an infection turned septic. I nearly died, spent about three weeks unconscious, another month trying to get well. After that time in bed, I was so weak I couldn’t move my legs and arms. Since then, I’ve had to be in a nursing home learning to walk again. The first place turned out to be a nightmare…I wound up back in the hospital with several infections and dehydration. The second one is much better, but don’t kid yourself, any nursing home right now is understaffed (it’s a nationwide problem. No one wants to be a nursing aide. It’s hard work and doesn’t pay well.) At least there’s a light at the end of my tunnel. Just today, I took my first steps since February 4th. I’ll get home. My heart breaks forthose who are here to stay.