Among numerous claims nation-wide of senior care facility abuse, a family calls for investigation of a Texas nursing home that they claim neglected their grandmother.

89-year old Ifay S. was a resident at Brightpointe at Rivershire nursing home in Conroe, Texas, according to the family. She died at the facility in February. Her family claims that her condition deteriorated severely during her time there, and that her deterioration and death were caused by neglect she suffering at the nursing home.

The family claims that Ifay was in stable health when she entered the nursing facility. They claim that she did have dementia, but that she could still walk, talk, and enjoy time with family. According to the family, she did have one bedsore that was “the size of an eraser,” but that the sore was healing.

The family reports that they visited her while she was at the facility, and the grandson claims that during those visits, he suspected that his grandmother’s condition was deteriorating. However, they allege that did not know how severe Ifay’s condition was until they took her to the emergency room four months after her arrival at Brightpointe.

A family member who is also a nurse told Houston’s KPRC, “within four months, she had deteriorated so far that she nine bedsores, some unstageable. She was septic and she couldn’t speak.” Reports show that bedsores occur when a patient lies on one part of their body for too long. They can be prevented if a care professional regularly changes the position of a patient. The family member went on to state that “she had one real bad bed sore that was almost to the bone that was due to her not being turned, not being taken care of.”

After Ifay’s death in February, her grandson filed a report with the Conroe Police Department of Ifay’s alleged senior care facility abuse. He was told that the department does not anticipate filing charges, but the Texas Department of Health and Human Services told him that they are investigating the case.

Ifay’s case is just one of a growing problem in the United States. Studies suggest that as many as 5 million Americans over that age of 60 suffer senior care facility abuse. It is estimated that as many as 84% of such cases are unreported.

Elder abuse and neglect can occur in a range of long-term care institutions including:

• skilled nursing facilities
• assisted living facilities
• residential board and care homes
• adult day care centers

Additionally, senior care facility abuse can take a number of forms. It can be hard to identify, but some forms of mistreatment often suffered by elders in the care of others are:

• neglect
• physical abuse
• sexual abuse
• abandonment

If you suspect that a loved one may be the victim of senior care facility abuse, you can take action. If the person is in immediate danger, call 911 or the local police. For longer-term solutions that can help you in this difficult situation, reach out to an elder abuse hotline and/or an elder law attorney. They will be able to provide you with the additional tools to get you the answers you need.