When It’s Time to Start Asking Questions: 7 Signs of Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse

The residents of nursing homes are usually dependent upon the staff for service and care and thus, they are often prone to exploitation due to their frailty. A resident of a nursing home who suffers from neglect or abuse may be incapable of speaking up due to the fear of what might happen to them in the absence of their loved ones. For that reason, it’s often advisable to watch out for signs of nursing home neglect or abuse whenever you visit your loved ones in their nursing facilities. Here’s is what to look out for.

1. Poor Personal Hygiene

In any nursing facilities, nurses are expected to help with the basic hygiene of the residents. Many people residing in these facilities require assistance getting dressed, clipping their nails, brushing their teeth, and combing their hair. A neglected individual is often left doing these things alone, and more often than not, they are not able to maintain their hygiene.

2. Changes in Mental Status or Consciousness

Sometimes, nursing home staff members utilize chemicals restraints to make the work easier for them. If your loved one has a change in their mental status ranging, from stupor to confusion, then you need to be careful. If you notice a difference in their functionality, take immediate action to determine why that is the case.

3. Poor Living Condition

Nursing facilities should offer residents with a clean and safe environment. Failure to do so indicates that the residents are being neglected. The law indicates that nursing homes ought to establish and maintain a program that would control infection so as to provide a safe environment for residents. Moreover, the facilities need to meet the safety and security requirements provided by the state.

4. Lack or Loss of Mobility

When a resident is neglected, they may be left in bed for long, risking the loss of mobility. In the absence of routine movement, residents may end up facing other health complications such as infections and bedsores.

5. Fear or Avoidance of Nursing Staff

If your loved one has stopped speaking to a nurse or looking at a particular staff member, then that is a sign they are being abused. If there is a look of fear in their eyes when a particular nurse or doctor enters the room, then you need to find out what the problem is since that is a sign of physical, verbal, or sexual abuse.

6. Unexpected Injuries

Bruises, broken bones, or head injuries could indicate that an individual is being neglected or abused in the nursing facility. People who aren’t given any assistance may end up doing everything for themselves and this may result in their injuries. Slips and falls among the sick and the elderly are clear signs of neglect. In fact, you can seek help from a Bradenton based personal injury laywer or a lawyer in your area to get compensation from your loved one falling and injuring themselves, so make sure that you are getting all the help and financial security you can from these kinds of negligent acts.

7. Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid weight loss is a clear sign of abuse or neglect. Under the right care plan, a resident in a nursing home should maintain or gain weight. Weight loss may signify depression, poor balance of medication, or even withholding of food.

Take Action

Neglect and abuse are tragic as they can result in severe physical and psychological trauma for residents in nursing homes. Knowing which signs to watch out for will go a long way in helping you to protect your loved ones. Renowned legal professionals such as Hupy and Abraham can help you file a claim against the nursing home if you feel your loved one is being abused or neglected.

Turning a New Page: Learn to Differentiate Between These 4 Types of Divorce

Deciding to proceed with a divorce is a major decision. This decision is made even harder if you share children together. You will suddenly be researching fathers rights in Illinois, or divorce rights wherever you are living, in order to fully understand what you are entitled to and how to go about things in a fair manner. It requires a lot of thought and consideration, but once that decision has been made research needs to be done. When beginning that research, it is helpful to know that a divorce is also referred to as a dissolution of marriage. By looking into and finding divorce attorneys in mckinney texas that you can trust, your research can be assisted by professional advice. Working alongside a divorce lawyer will expand your knowledge on the subject and help you to know what steps to take and when. These four types of divorce will bring you more information so you can choose the one that pertains to your specific situation.

1. No-Fault Divorce

California was the first state to pass a law stating that there could be no-fault divorces. Now a majority of the states have no-fault divorce laws. This means that a divorce can be granted for even the simplest of terms, such as incompatibility or if it is irreconcilable. With the no-fault divorce laws in place, there is no need for an explanation as to why a couple would like to get a divorce. It is supposed to be a simple process, but it can also end up being the opposite because one party may want to hold the other party responsible for any wrongdoings.

2. Simplified Divorce

Simplified divorce is the path to take for those couples who have no children and no financial ties with each other. Most couples who file for a simplified divorce also have not been married for a long period of time. These divorces are usually less expensive and are granted quicker, typically within 30 days of filing the paperwork. It is important to keep in mind that each state may have slightly different laws in regards to a simplified divorce so thorough research is recommended before filing for this type of divorce.

3. Uncontested Divorce

The uncontested divorce process can be done with a family law attorney and it involves both parties coming to a mutual agreement before even coming before a judge. The agreement will include any separation of finances, property, or anything involving children. This paperwork and the discussions are all completed before filing for the divorce, so hearings and settlement negotiations are not necessary. The process can go rather quickly due to each party already agreeing to terms.

4. Limited Divorce

A limited divorce gives couples more time to discuss and divide their assets. Harrisburg divorce lawyers, and divorce lawyers in other locations, are there to help with the longer process of a limited divorce. This divorce process is not allowed in some states because it is very similar to that of a legal separation. Under a limited divorce, each party is required to live at different locations and they are not allowed to have sexual relations with each other or anyone else. A limited divorce is granted in order for couples to come to an agreement on finances, property, alimony, and custody over the children.

With these brief overviews of four types of divorce, you will have a starting point for when you begin to do more research on your own and hire QDRO consultants. There is a lot more information out there that pertains to each of these types of divorces. Each bit of information will bring you closer to deciding which type of divorce is going to be best for you and the new life you will embark on once it is filed and said and done.

A Culture of Dialogue: The Psychology Behind Family Disputes and How to Resolve Them

Some families are toxic. They pass poisonous habits, attitudes, and values onto others in the family, business, or other relationships. Toxic personalities injure, weaken, and destroy others. And, such families need focused and long-term professional help.

But, family disputes are not necessarily toxic. Most family disputes are common and natural. Just think of those with adolescents in the house! Most family disputes are healthy. As Psychology Today notes, “When you come to think of it, an essential part of marriage is quickly resolving the endless difference of opinion about everything from decorating to how to manage the children.”

Of course, the rate of divorce proves how difficult it can be to resolve family conflicts. Though they can at least be soothed at the breaking point by family law specialists like jennifer croker or similar professionals that deal with conflicting families. This way, families that are breaking up can do so on more amicable terms. With that in mind, it’s important to understand the psychology of family disputes and how to resolve them.

A culture of dialogue

Typical family disputes lead to behavioral changes like anger, avoidance, jealousy, and passive/aggressive responses. If they worsen, family members may pursue substance abuse or develop anxiety, depression, or other psychological disorders. And, the circumstances and conditions spread their influence to other family members.

Faced with family disputes, families should turn to counseling sooner than later because these problems do not get better with age. A solution to these negative behaviors and seemingly impossible resolution lies in advice from a professional mediator.

Mediation calls on a neutral mediator to assist clients in finding unique resolutions to their own distinct conflicts. And, it’s this advice that creates a culture of dialogue.

The mediator is trained to facilitate discussion and collaboration among the parties to the family disputes to help them discover and craft the best possible resolution of the conflict. If the dispute has approached litigation, the respective lawyers may participate. But, the mediator keeps the parties to the dispute involved in a culture of dialogue in a process that makes them part of the solution as well.

Because the disputants craft the outcome, it is more satisfying than legal settlement.

How to resolve family disputes

Perhaps, the ideal is to create a family environment in which disputes don’t happen or members resolve their own problems. For instance, the Dalai Lama is credited with creating the idea of “a culture of dialogue.” He taught, “A culture of dialogue is one in which people habitually gather together to explore their lives, their differences, their dreams. Every facet of such a culture would contribute to people learning together, building healthy relationships with each other and the natural world, and co-creating better prospects for their shared future.”

Sadly, most family disputes start and end without such sentiments. However, a professional mediator is trained and experienced in structuring, facilitating, and monitoring the same process. Mediation helps people explore their lives and differences. It encourages them to build healthy relationships. And, they do it by co-creating better prospects.

The lesson learned is, before you let a family dispute reach a violent stage, a hostile divorce, or estrangement from your children, it makes sense to seek the advice of a qualified mediator committed to resolving the situation that created the tension and to structure a solution with the full participation of the parties. Good lawyers will suggest the mediation route even if it avoids divorce or other final but emotionally costly solutions.

Protecting Your Family:  What Constitutes Elder Abuse and How You Can Help be Proactive in a Case

Elder abuse takes place more often than what many people imagine. In essence, this is far more than just abuse – it’s an issue of misplaced trust and heartbreak. Due to their declining health, the elderly are more vulnerable to being taken advantage of, so it’s important to keep a watchful eye on them to ensure that everything is all right. The following strategies will enable you to watch for signs of abuse as well as play an active role in elder abuse prevention:

Monitor their mental health

A single mood swing probably doesn’t signify a thing, but if they feel emotionless and unresponsive, perhaps even socially withdrawn, something more sinister might be going on and elder abuse is not out of the question.

Check for signs of financial exploitation

This is hard to do, since there aren’t really any telltale signs of it. What you can do, however, is get in touch with a lawyer who will establish all the preventative measures.

Notice their personal hygiene

Does it feel like they’re neglected? As it often happens, elder abuse victimsoften show signs of poor or improper personal hygiene. This might indicate unsanitary conditions of the nursing home they’re living in.

Visit them often

If you can’t visit the nursing home that often, make sure that you’re going to be in touch with them on a regular basis. All in all, the goal is to check up on them every so often to ensure they’re properly taken care of and that they’re not neglected in any way.

Make a background check if someone is suspicious

Sometimes, upon visiting the nursing home, a staff member will catch your eye. For whatever reason that might be, your internal alarm bells will start ringing, and you won’t be able to shake off the feeling that something might not be quite in order. Should this happen to you, make a criminal background check and see if that person was ever arrested or involved in a crime.

Know your rights and act on them

Remaining passive is just about the worst thing you can do if you suspect something might be going on. As soon as you notice any signs that suggest anything of the like (or if you’ve identified one of the caregivers as fraudulent or abusive), do not wait around in hopes that the problem will go away on its own. Rather, you should be playing an active role an get in touch with an attorney who will help guide you.

Take them in if need be

If the circumstances allow for it, it might be a good idea to take care of the elderly person you love for for the time being, or at least until things get cleared up. In case you’re doing this based on suspicion alone, monitor if their condition has improved as a result of you taking them in and caring for them.

Conclusion

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to take a proactive approach in caring for a loved one’s wellbeing, no matter where they are. By being on your guard and remaining observant at all times, you can spot and prevent a disaster before it gets out of hand.

How Installment Loans Can Help You

When money is tight, it’s important for you to look for the right solution. You can’t always turn to a credit card and sometimes you need to take out a loan. Now there are many types of loans all across the country. From small business loans florida to help get your business back on its feet, to payday loans Pennsylvania to get you that quick cash you need for an important purchase or repair.

Not every loan is right for the job though and depending on your credit score, you can be locked out of some of the better loans. Luckily for you, there’s a good loan you can get even when your credit score is stuck in the abyss. These installment loans San Antonio TX is known for can help you get the financial help that you need. Read on to learn more about them.

Guaranteed Loan

It might be possible to get a loan, guaranteed. If you do have less-than-perfect credit, you don’t want to undergo a credit check only to be turned down. By asking for an installment loan that is guaranteed, the approval is based on your employment as opposed to your credit score.

Pay Over Time

A primary benefit of an installment loan is that you make installments on the money that you borrow. This allows you to pay over a period of time as opposed to paying it all back in one lump sum. When you do this, it takes some of the pressure off of you financially, allowing you to get back on your feet.

Get the Money That You Need

As long as you can pay the loan, the money is yours. You don’t have to disclose what the money is for, so it can be used for rent, a car payment, a medical bill, or anything else going on in your life. Whatever it is, it’s not something that you have to disclose. This allows you to enjoy more privacy than if you went with a bank loan where they would want to know how the money is going to be used.

Whenever you’re in need of money, you have to consider the options that are available to you. Not everyone can use a credit card or get a loan from a bank. There are less traditional options that you can take advantage of from time to time.