Nursing Home Neglect
What contributes to instances of elder abuse
and nursing home neglect?
What type of nursing home neglect and abuse can
occur?
What are signs that may indicate abuse nursing
home neglect is present?
How prevalent is elder abuse and nursing home
neglect?
If I suspect elder abuse or nursing home neglect
what can I do?
What is being done to end nursing home neglect
and elder abuse?
What contributes to instances of elder
abuse and nursing home neglect?
Elder abuse and nursing home neglect have been largely attributed
to under qualified and inexperienced staff. Staff that is
unable to handle different nursing home situations may take
out their frustrations on nursing home residents. A federal
study found that 9 in 10 nursing homes are understaffed to
provide basic services like feeding, cleaning, dressing, and
grooming.
What type of nursing home neglect and
abuse can occur?
Most people relate nursing home neglect with just physical
abuse, but nursing home neglect can be present with mental
abuse, neglect,
and exploitation/financial
abuse.
What are
signs that may indicate abuse and nursing home neglect
is present?
Any of the following signs could warrant further investigation
for nursing home neglect:
- Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, sprains, or fractures
in various stages of healing
- Bedsores or frozen joints
- Unexplained venereal disease or genital infections; vaginal
or anal bleeding; torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
- Sudden changes in behavior
- Staff refusing to allow visitors to see resident or delays
in allowing visitors to see resident
- Staff not allowing resident to be alone with visitor
- Resident being kept in an over-medicated state
- Loss of resident's possessions
- Sudden large withdrawals from bank accounts or changes
in banking practices
- Abrupt changes in will or other financial documents
top - Nursing Home Neglect
How prevalent is elder abuse and nursing
home neglect?
Elder abuse and nursing home neglect continues to be on the
rise, affecting the 1.6 million Americans that currently reside
in the more than 16,000 nursing homes across this country.
Elder abuse in nursing homes was up 20% last year, according
to a Senate committee on aging 2002 report. 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
an dehydration.
top - Nursing Home Neglect
If I suspect elder abuse or nursing home
neglect what can I do?
Death and serious injuries have due to nursing home neglect
has cost the lives of our elders across the country. If nursing
home neglect is suspected, the problem should be immediately
brought to the nursing home’s attention. The nursing
home should act promptly and if the problem does not subside
government assistance is available. Contacting your state
attorney general’s office to report elder abuse or nursing
home neglect is an option, as well as obtaining private attorneys.
Contact us for more information from a nursing home neglect
attorney.
top - Nursing Home Neglect
What is being done to end nursing home
neglect and elder abuse?
Unfortunately, the problem of nursing home neglect has become
so widespread that a federal report concluded it would cost
$7.6 billion to solve the problem of understaffing in nursing
homes. Ninety percent of the country’s nursing homes
are considered understaffed and unable to provide the basic
services a nursing home is assumed and responsible to provide.
A pilot program has been launched by the Center for Medicare
and Medicaid Services in Maryland, Rhode Island, Ohio, Florida,
Colorado, and Washington state that will allow these select
consumers to get patient care data on the nation’s nursing
homes from one Web site, and if it goes well, the consumers
in every state will have access to this information in October.
In addition, the Senate Aging Committee chairman wants criminal
background checks for nursing home workers and expanded powers
for the government. Viewed as one of the nation’s greatest
law enforcement challenges of the next century, nursing home
neglect has affected one in three nursing homes according
to the 2001 Senate committee on aging, and elder abuse in
nursing homes will continue to be a challenge.
|
