Portland, OR – Discovering your loved ones have been the victims of nursing home abuse can have an intense emotional impact. Some people may be tempted to sweep it under the rug. rather than reach out to trusted lawyers. People do it for various reasons – they’re in denial it happened, and they’ve received assurances it will never happen again. Others are just so ashamed  of what their elderly parents or their in-care relatives had to endure that they don’t want to put them through any more suffering.However, knowledgeable Portland nursing home abuse lawyers warn that sweeping abuse under the rug only ever helps the abuser, never the abused.Identifying nursing home abuseA common way in which people delay reporting or contacting the authorities is by saying they need to “make sure” of the abuse. They don’t want to be disruptive, or falsely accuse anyone of anything, so they often give nursing homes the benefit of a doubt.Maybe it was a misunderstanding, maybe Grandpa is confused.These are things we commonly tell ourselves to conceal abuse. But where the abuse of our most vulnerable citizens is concerned, it’s better to err on the side of caution. Nursing home abuse may not always leave visible marks. In fact, some types of abuse, like emotional or financial, can be very difficult to spot even for the most devoted family members and friends.This is why you need to observe your loved one carefully, say Oregon nursing home abuse lawyers. Watch for signs of distress, confusion, isolation, and depression. Also monitor their financial arrangements (e.g. bank accounts, credit cards), to make sure someone isn’t taking advantage of them.When should you hire a lawyer?

Male lawyer talking to clients; image by Pavel Danilyuk, via Pexels.com.

Immediately after ensuring your loved ones are out of harm’s way. If you feel it’s necessary, don’t hesitate to call the local authorities or even 911.Reaching out to reliable nursing home abuse lawyers is the first step towards getting justice for the abuse endured by your loved ones. In Oregon, the statute of limitations for this type of lawsuit is 2 years. That means you need to initiate legal proceedings against the abuser/nursing home within that time-frame, or else you risk losing your shot at justice.While the state does recognize a very limited number of exceptions to the 2-year rule, it’s never a good idea to delay legal action, thinking you have plenty of time. Failure to comply with the 2-year statute can get your case thrown out, in spite of overwhelming evidence documenting the abuse.What kind of lawyers do you need?It’s natural to be a little confused. Generally, if you are suing over nursing home abuse or neglect that resulted in an injury, or even the wrongful death of a loved one, you’ll require the services of a personal injury lawyer.However, if the abuse was of a medical nature (e.g. prescription of the wrong drugs, billing for unnecessary medical procedures), your interests may be better served by experienced medical malpractice lawyers.