Nursing Home Neglect:
Planning a loved ones stay at a nursing home is never an easy task. You may be feeling guilty, sad, nervous, etc. Deciding the correct time, age, and nursing home for your friend or family member is a massive task to accept and take on. That is why we are here to lay out all of the things you should consider when it comes to the care your loved one deserves. The sad truth about today’s subject is that nursing home neglect is very prevalent. It does not exist in 100% of the cases, but the fact that it does exist, is reason enough for us to know all of our options when it happens.
What is nursing home neglect? –
Nursing home negligence can be a number of different scenarios. But, the main point is that your loved one is being neglected the care they deserve when you or the insurance company is paying good money for them to be there. A few examples of neglect could range from bed sores, not adhering to dietary restrictions, nurses not doing head counts and misplacing patients, just to name a few. Bed sores typically arise from when a patient has come into contact with a surface or material for far too long. This mainly comes from a patient being left in bed for way too long, or not being moved from their wheelchair onto another resting surface. Not adhering to dietary restrictions can have gravely affects and should always be taken very, very seriously. Often times, individuals that are in nursing homes may not like the conditions or miss their family. So, they try to escape or reunite with their loved ones by leaving. This is why cameras, alarms, and headcounts are very important when it pertains to keeping track of a facilities patients.
The idea of a trained nurse neglecting a patient’s medical needs can keep any of us awake at night with the thought that their life could be in danger. Some of the reason that nursing homes have this issue can come from a few different places. High turnover rate is a big factor because of the wages these nurses are making. This causes facilities to not be able to train nurses correctly and to the level of expertise that these patients deserve. After all, we are trusting these nurses with these people’s lives. Funding is another big reason. There are a few different types of nursing homes. More and more pop up each year which makes it difficult to ensure these facilities are fully staffed and properly trained with the skills to care for people.
What to do when you feel your loved one has been neglected –
After discussing how to identify if you have seen negligence or anything else that has unsettled you about your loved ones nursing home care, let’s talk about what you should do about it.
The second you start to get a bad feeling, or experience ANYTHING that you do not approve of, start documenting everything. What time did you visit, what happened, how did the nurses talk to you, was there anything you saw with patients you weren’t visiting that you did not agree with? All of these things need to be documents for validity purposes. Take pictures. In the case of bed sores, physical abuse, etc. take pictures of the evidence, this is very important from a legal standpoint. You’ll want to send everything to the director of the nursing home. If it can be handled out of court, that is the best way to go. BUT if you need to seek legal guidance, B&C is always here for free consultation. It is always best to know all of your options before proceeding with anything.
Always remember to ask every question about the facility. Detail all the care that your loved one needs to receive. Make sure the nursing home has reviews that are up to your standard and that it is a recommended option. After all, you want to make sure your friend or family member is in the best care and positive mind frame as possible!
