Nursing home neglect can be both physical and mental

Nursing homes and other residential care facilities are tasked with the responsibility of providing their residents with the physical, emotional, and psychological support they require. Many individuals who enter nursing homes in New Mexico do so because they are unable to provide for their own needs in independent living arrangements and do not have familial support to live with others. As such, a nursing home can become a literal lifeline for a person who cannot take care of their own needs.

Unfortunately, instances of neglect can happen in these settings, and when they do nursing home residents can pay heavily. In New Mexico, neglect in the nursing home setting can involve the failure of the facility to give a resident adequate food, shelter, or supervision, or care for their physical and mental health. Often cases of nursing home neglect focus on the physical manifestations of mistreatment that individuals suffer, but mental neglect can result in detriment as well.

Ways that nursing home neglect may affect residents’ mental health can include:

• Being subjected to isolation from others;
• Fearing abuse or aggression from other residents or staff members;
• Suffering concern over a lack of food or personal care; and
• Experiencing distress over treatment, or lack thereof, for medical needs.

When a person does not receive the care and support that they require to survive, their body and their mind may pay the price for what they have been denied. Instances of nursing home neglect should not go unreported and victims should not feel as though their losses are unworthy of compensation. Nursing home neglect and abuse are serious forms of personal injury and those who have suffered from these callous practices may have legal options. Consultation with a nursing home abuse and neglect attorney can provide a victim and their family with valuable information. This post does not provide any legal advice or guidance.