Nursing Home Employee Suspended on Suspicion of Elder Abuse
A nursing home employee in South Carolina has been suspended on suspicion of elder abuse against an 83-year-old female resident. The 41-year-old employee is suspected of physically harming the resident, giving her a bloody nose. An internal investigation as well as an investigation from South Carolina authorities is currently in effect to determine the validity to this incident. The victim did not suffer any other injuries as a result of this incident, according to the report from the islandpacket.com website. There is no information on whether other incidents have occurred in the facility in the past or not.
This incident demonstrates the prevalence of physical abuse that still occurs in nursing homes and/or assisted living centers. The types of physical abuse can differ from situation and often people do not notice the physical implications of abuse, but it is important to take notice of these signs in order to stop future abuse from happening. Some of these signs can include:
• Welts
• Unusual Bruises
• Unexplainable Fractures
• Burns
• Sores, including bedsores or pressure sores
• Overmedication
• Swelling
• Scratches
• Bite marks
The fact that the company that operates the facility is cooperating and even conducting their own internal investigation into this matter shows their good faith attempt at resolving the incident and putting its residents’ care and safety ahead of the image of the company in the public’s eye.
