Nursing Home Neglect, abuse or inadequate care for the elderly or the infirm in nursing homes or any other long-term care facilities.
Placing a loved one in a nursing home is one of the most difficult decisions you may ever face. As our loved one’s physical or mental condition declines, we are often faced with no alternative other than long-term care placement. As the healthcare system in this country has changed, so have traditional nursing homes. They may even have different names, such as:
- Assisted living facilities
- Extended care facilities
- Long-term care facilities
No matter what the name, families have the right to expect their loved one will be safe and cared for by qualified professionals in a respectful, caring, loving and secure environment.
Nursing Homes are Big Businesses
Last year, nursing home revenues topped $55 billion. Nearly one-quarter of the country’s nursing home beds are controlled by ten publicly traded nursing home management companies. They also own subsidiaries that provide management, dietary assistance and other services to the nursing home industry. There are many privately-owned homes controlled by either charity-related non-profit organizations or by religious organizations. Regardless of ownership, most of these homes are still managed by for-profit management companies.
To Avoid Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse, Research the Facility Before You Send Someone There.
It is vitally important that you spend a considerable amount of time researching the actual nursing home before you send someone you love to one. Do not judge the nursing home solely on the basis of a guided tour or the attractive physical features of the facility. The physical look and atmosphere are important but what is more important is the staffing. Does the facility have enough qualified staff to meet the needs of your loved one? The reality is that many of these facilities lack the necessary staffing to meet the needs of their residents. Under-staffing, or having poorly trained and inexperienced staff members or inadequate security can endanger the health and safety of the residents – your loved ones – and lead to serious or deadly nursing home neglect or abuse.
Be Aware Of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Nursing home neglect or abuse takes many forms:
- Deliberate physical abuse and sexual assaults occur with frightening frequency in nursing homes.
As unimaginable as it is, nursing home neglect in the form of sexual abuse occurs frequently in nursing homes. There are rapists who work in nursing homes – where you entrust your loved one’s care. Many residents, due to their disabilities, do not have adequate capabilities to resist and fight back. They become easy targets, and this is criminal. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. This has to be stopped, and the nursing home administration must be held accountable.
- Inadequate care
Nursing home neglect or abuse due to inadequate care is often the result of understaffing, unqualified staffing and uncaring staffing. Only disaster can result from this type of nursing home abuse such as:
- Bedsores, Pressure Ulcers, Decubitus Ulcers
- Many residents have limited physical mobility and, thus, require extra help. If they are not moved or turned properly and frequently, they will develop decubitus ulcers (bedsores)
- Malnutrition and Dehydration
- Diet is extremely important. A proper standard of nourishment must be provided. Adequate nourishment means providing nutritious meals that are in the proper portions and taste good. The quality, as well as the quantity, of the food must be within normally accepted medical standards for each resident.
- Falls Causing Fractures and Other Injuries
- Wandering Off and Elopement
- Medication Errors
- Residents that require medical services must receive those services as prescribed by the doctors. If nursing care is required, it must be provided. Exceedingly inadequate medical care is not acceptable and is, clearly, nursing home neglect or abuse.
Any unexpected injuries, illness or death may be a sign of nursing home neglect or abuse and should be thoroughly investigated.
Protect your loved ones in these homes. If you have any idea they are the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse, call the Monk Law Firm for a free consultation. Our personal injury law firm accepts nursing home neglect cases on a contingency basis. You only pay our nursing home negligence lawyers when we recover compensation on your behalf. Our accident attorneys are here to help.
Click the following links to know more about – Nursing Home Negligence Attorney in Athens & Nursing Home Negligence Attorney in Macon
