Abandonment is defined by the desertion of an assisted living or nursing home resident in an instant when it would be considered unreasonable by a sensible person.  Litigations have found that abandonment incidences are most common residents who have a hard time communicating verbally or are unable to reach call buttons. This problem is often accentuated by understaffed nursing homes. In this country one out of every three nursing home is guilty of violations, and as many as 20% of all abuse cases (including abandonment) go unreported. 

It is a difficult decision to place our loved ones is an assisted living establishment, but when we do, we do so with the trust that these facilities are going to provide the best possible care. It is unconscionable to think that the people with whom we have put so much faith in would abandon our loved ones, but it is an unfortunate pattern that arises from a poorly regulated nursing home industry. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, abandonment is often hard to detect, but here are few common signs that abandonment may hay occurred:

•bedsores
•change in mood or behavior
•unexplained weight loss
•irritability
•depression
•sudden change in health
•dehydration
•strong smell of fecal matter or urine on body or in living area 

To be sure, nursing home abuse is not always easy to discover. Many of the signs of abuse, such as bruises, dehydration, shallow breathing, jaundice and other indicia of abuse also can occur naturally. Other signs, such as bed sores, which often result from a failure to provide proper exercise for an elderly patient resulting in severe and persistent pressure on a tendon, are more obvious. Visit our information center to learn more about the types of elder care abuse or click on one of the links below to visit our attorney specializing in nursing home neglect and elder care abuse:

Compounding the problem is that many elderly patients do not report abuse or mistreatment for fear of retaliation or ridicule. It is important for you to explain to your loved one that they should feel comfortable discussing with you any deficiencies in their care, and that you will take those concerns seriously so that they feel free to speak with you.

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