Elder Law

Tips to Help Check on Care Provided to Elderly Relative

By Levin & Perconti

The Los Angeles Times recently published a quick check-list of issues to consider while ensuring that elderly friends and family are receiving adequate care at their nursing home. IA holiday visit is a perfect time to evaluate the facility to ensure that nothing is amiss with the treatment provided to the elderly residents.

According to a director of a local elder care and neglect prevention group, it is important to recognize signs of confusion and depression. Problems include inability to handle basic tasks that they once were able like meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, and bathing.

Besides nursing home neglect, there are often clear warning signs when an at-home caregiver is not providing adequate care or has ill motives at heart. Be sure to watch for recent changes in your senior?s banking account or attempts by the caregiver to isolate the senior from family and friends. Obviously the caregiver themselves should not be abusing drugs and alcohol or become financially dependent on the older person.

No matter where the elderly relative lives (a nursing home or with a caregiver at home), all signs of physical abuse should be looked into immediately. All unexplained bruises, cuts, or bed sores need to be investigated to ensure that causes are explained and future injury is prevented.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on December 22, 2010 (boomark / email).