Beware Of Nursing Home Abuse And Neglect!The elderly and the infirm have to put up with a number of problems during a period of their lives when they should be looked after with care and compassion. Nursing home abuse and neglect is one such problem that needs to be addressed and resolved. Nursing homes are meant to be places of rest, recuperation and convalescence for the elderly, invalid or sick. However, it is a tragedy that one in three nursing homes is reported for cases of negligence that is tantamount to abuse. The majority of nursing homes are well equipped and staffed with nurses and staffers who have been trained and sensitized to the need of its residents. There are strict federal and state laws that a nursing home need to comply with in order to assure minimum level of standards towards the well being and safety of the residents. Nevertheless, there are nursing homes that give this segment of health care a bad name. It is an acknowledged fact that understaffed nursing homes are not able to provide a minimum level of care for the residents. A resident normally requires 4 to 5 hours of care and personal attention. If the staff strength is insufficient then resident care is bound to suffer. As a result, there will be incidents of negligence where a staff member is not able to respond to the needs of a resident in time. A resident may not be provided food in time or in adequate quantity. A resident may also not have personal and hygiene needs taken care of in time. Negligence on the part of the staff results in a number of similar situations that adversely affect the health of the resident. More so if a resident is elderly! However, negligence is just one side of the picture. Many old age patients are reported to have suffered from direct physical, emotional, verbal, psychological, sexual and financial abuse at the hands of nursing home staff. The loved ones or the legal guardians of a resident leave them in the hands of a nursing home with the confidence that they will be well looked after. The loved ones are not there to monitor the condition of the patient. As a result, staffers or other people living in the facility might take advantage of the resident and subject him or her to abuse. Thus if you are planning to place an ailing elder in the care of a nursing home facility, then it is highly advisable to talk with the relatives of other residents in the facility and obtain information from them about the living conditions in the facility. A tour of the facility and inspection of the records of the facility will help you to determine if the facility is the right place for your loved one. If your loved one is a resident in a nursing home facility, then you should monitor the health of your loved one by making frequent visits to the facility. Nursing home abuse and neglect can be prevented by making the right decision in selecting a nursing home and monitoring the health of your loved one. Nursing Home Negligence And Abuse Terms Of Use Contact Privacy Policy |