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more_legal_areas nursing_homeWhat are the causes of nursing home neglect and
abuse?
Many times nursing homes do not hire enough, as well as qualified,
staff. Under qualified, insufficiently trained, and overworked staff can
result in abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, many nursing home residents
are unable to properly communicate instances of abuse or neglect because
of their physical or mental state.
Susan Eaton, assistant professor of public policy and who has studied the link between human resource personnel management and the quality of patient care in nursing homes attributes nursing home problems to, “care-giving work in general is under-valued. We pay animal keepers more than eldercare providers. Many nursing home workers do not have health insurance themselves, and almost none have pensions. Second, working with the elderly can be difficult, stressful, and unsafe, especially as nursing home residents become more frail, demented, and acutely ill when released from hospitals. Nursing homes are more dangerous places to work than construction sites or coal mines. Third, public funds pay more than two-thirds of nursing home costs. Medicare and Medicaid have not increased their coverage or payment rates as fast as costs, because of concerns over deficits and taxes in the political arena. Many nursing homes do not pay enough to keep a full time worker''s family out of poverty.”
What are the different types of nursing home neglect and abuse?
What are some recognizable signs that nursing home
neglect and abuse could be occurring?
Any of the following signs could warrant further investigation:
How prevalent is nursing home neglect and abuse?
More than 1.6 million Americans reside in more than 16,000 nursing homes
across this country. A 1998 study conducted by the U.S. General Accounting
Office (GAO) concluded that more than half of the suspicious deaths studied
in nursing homes were probably due to neglect, including malnutrition and
dehydration. The study also found that about 1 in 3 California nursing homes
have been cited by state inspectors for “serious or potentially life-threatening
care problems,” but these citations are occurring across the nation
and not in California alone. These figures also exclude unreported instances
of nursing home abuse that must also be taken under consideration.
How Can I Choose A Safe Nursing Home?
There is no full proof way to choose a safe nursing home, but there are
steps you can take to better ensure the safety of your family members. By
asking questions and looking for signs at the facility you can better prevent
unnecessary instances of abuse from occurring. Here are a few questions
you can ask the facility (information from Medicare):
As with any important decision, by doing your homework you can help put your mind at ease with your final decision. Some other useful tips include:
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