If you have an aging relative in New Mexico who needs more care than you can adequately provide to them at home, you might end up making the decision to move them into a facility where they can receive the support they need. By design, nursing homes should be places where elderly persons can be safe and cared for in a dignified and compassionate manner. Sadly, these facilities can at times be the very places in which people experience serious abuse or neglect.
As explained by the National Council on Elder Abuse, neglect or abuse of elderly people may take many forms and present a variety of consequences for residents and their family members. Psychological changes can be evident when a person experiences physical, emotional or mental abuse. The victim might become withdrawn, depressed or moody in ways that are unusual for them.
Physical problems can develop either from direct physical injuries such as hitting but also as side effects of neglectful actions like not receiving sufficient food or water. There can be a high cost associated with the medical care or hospitalizations that may be necessary to help a person who has been abused or neglected in a nursing home.
If you would like to learn more about the signs of potential abuse or neglect in a nursing home and what you should do if such activity is suspected, please feel free to visit the elder care and protections page of our New Mexico nursing home and abuse website.