Making the decision to place an elderly parent or incapacitated spouse in a nursing home is traumatic for both the patient and his family. Ideally, most people would prefer to remain in the comfort and familiar surroundings of their own home. Unfortunately, diminished physical abilities, broken bones or declining mental acuity may necessitate a level of care that can no longer be provided in the home. For most families, the only viable solution is a nursing home.
While many nursing homes have well-trained, dedicated staffs who provide excellent patient care, most are multi-billion dollar business run by huge corporations. Profitability and efficiency too often trump patient care. Overworked floor staffs may find it difficult to provide competent, caring patient care. A national shortage of health care workers can result in the hiring of poorly trained or poorly motivated nursing home personnel. The result can be patient neglect, abuse and tragedy.
Every year approximately 2.1 million older Americans are subjected to abuse or neglect. Reports indicate that 30% of nursing home facilities are cited for incidences of abuse by state agencies. Statistics may be far greater. Some studies indicate that for every reported incident of nursing home abuse, four to five incidents go unreported. Patients may be too intimidated to confide in their families, absent families may not be aware of abuse or neglect, and the 66% of nursing home residents who suffer from Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other mental impairment may be unable to communicate their fears.
Families should watch for signs of nursing home abuse, including bed or pressure sores, poor hygiene, sudden weight loss, multiple or repeated falls, bruises, signs of fear at the approach of nursing home staff. If a nursing home patient exhibits any of these signs, he may be a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect. Contact a nursing home lawyer immediately and speak to a malpractice attorney.
