Patient abuse normally affects elderly or handicapped people in home health care, hospitals, and nursing homes. It can also affect children. On average, over 2 million cases of elderly abuse are reported each year. It typically falls on the nursing staff to spot and prevent abuse. Here are some ways you can help prevent patient abuse.
Understand What Constitutes Abuse
Abuse is often defined as intentionally inflicting physical harm on a patient, generally those who can’t protect themselves due to physical or mental limitations. However, there are other forms of abuse you should be aware of, such as emotional abuse or physical restriction. One of the most common forms of abuse is neglect. Patients that go unfed, untreated, unwashed, or are left to lie in dirty bedsheets can also be considered victims of abuse.
Watch for Physical Signs
Indications of physical abuse usually appear as bruises, often around the arms, wrists, or ankles due to restraints. Burns such as scalding from hot liquids or cigarettes are also common. Other indications are suddenly missing hair, cracked or broken teeth, and fractured bones or sprained joints that didn’t come from a fall. In some cases, patients may practice self-abuse, so it’s important to investigate whether that’s the case.
Look for Behavioral Changes
If a nurse shows excessive hostility or impatience, delays providing treatment, or consistently tries to dominate a patient, there may be the potential for abuse. If there’s a history of injury and improbable or contradictory explanations from patient and caregiver, it could indicate abuse. Patients may become withdrawn and depressed. Watch for fear or anxiety in the patient around certain members of the staff or their visitors.
Talk to Patients
Getting answers can be difficult with patients that have disabilities such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. But where possible, if you suspect abuse, talk to the patient about it. Let them know that they have rights and reassure them that it’s your duty to correct the situation. Just listening and comforting the patient may get them to talk. Even if they make accusations that seem confused or improbable, investigation is called for.
When You See Abuse
If you see abuse occur, or definite signs that lead you to suspect it’s happening, you owe it to your patients and your colleagues to report it. Communicate your suspicions to your superiors, the patient’s family, the police, and the proper medical authorities if the situation is not resolved. Inform the patient and their family that they have legal rights and are entitled to both file charges and seek compensation. Encourage them to find a nursing home abuse lawyer.
Healthcare workers at all levels are expected to do their duty and exercise professional standards of care. If you see indications that abuse is taking place, the problem should be addressed immediately.
