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There are between 5 and 7 million Americans who provide physical, emotional, social, and financial assistance to aging seniors from a distance, according to the Journal of Gerontological Social Work. These long-distance caregivers must rely on phone conversations and check-ins by others living closer in order to regularly gauge a senior’s well-being.

Over the holidays, families and friends may take advantage of the only opportunity they may have to pay close attention to a senior’s physical, mental, and living situation. A Fort Myers nursing home abuse attorney at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. shares some warning signs from Clare Absher, a registered nurse for Care Pathways, that a loved one may be in trouble and need more assistance: 

1) Your loved one is more confused, disoriented, drowsy, or sleeping all the time due to medication overdose or unmonitored adverse side effects making necessary adjustments.

2) Your loved one has become incontinent due to unavailable or untimely help with toileting and if already wearing disposable briefs for incontinence, has skin breakdown in the diaper area from sitting in urine and feces.

3) Your loved one has become immobile or has more difficulty getting around due to lack of assistance with daily walking and regular exercise programs.

4) Your loved one has poor personal hygiene including smelling of urine and feces, wearing dirty clothes, body odor, unwashed hair, overgrown nails due to lack of basic personal care, bathing, and toileting.

5) Your loved one has unexplained broken bones, dislocations, bruises, scratches that may be the result of rough handling during transfers, repositioning, force-feeding and medicine administration.

6) Your loved one is dehydrated or malnourished with sudden weight loss, dry mouth, cracked lips, swollen tongue, reduced urine output, and weak due to withholding of adequate food and fluids or lack of help with feeding.

7) Your loved one has developed bedsores, open wounds, frequent urinary tract infections due to improper care when confined to a bed or withholding needed medical attention for diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

8) Your loved one's safety is compromised when unexplained falls or accidents occur caused by poor supervision and incompetent assistance to prevent avoidable mishaps.

9) Your loved one is isolated and withdrawn showing a lack of interest in favorite activities due to forbidding participation, little or no mental stimulation, and silence refusing to talk about certain subjects because of fear of retaliation.

10) Your loved one has become agitated, anxious, fearful, guilty, embarrassed due to emotional abuse including ignoring cries for help and call lights, ridiculing, bullying, humiliating or even threats of punishment.

“Should your loved one be injured because of the negligence or mistreatment of another at a nursing home or assisted living facility, please contact our experienced Fort Myers nursing home abuse attorneys. We protect the rights of nursing home abuse and negligence victims and have the compassion and expertise to achieve the best possible results. Victims may be entitled to medical expenses for the present, past, and future losses, pain and suffering, disability or disfigurement, aggravation of pre-existing conditions, financial losses suffered from manipulative caregivers, and punitive damages where the defendant engaged in willful, malicious, and particularly egregious conduct. We are available 24/7, and there are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you,” said Randall Spivey, Fort Myers nursing home abuse attorney.

Fort Myers Nursing Home Abuse Attorney  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact  Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.