NY Accident Blog

How We Help New Yorkers:

Document Library

Nursing Home & Assisted Care Abuse

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Bad Faith Insurance, Unreasonable Claim Denial

Slips and Falls, Dog Bites, Stairway Accidents

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Making the decision to send your parents or older relatives to a nursing home is a difficult one. It isn’t uncommon to feel a sense of guilt for doing so. But the fact is, most Americans live demanding lives and simply don’t have the time to devote all the necessary time, skills and experience to give their aging parents or relatives the care that they need and deserve. And more and more Americans are feeling the same way lately. According to the House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform, there are almost 17,000 nursing homes in the United States, and they currently care for over 1.6 million residents.

With the baby-boomers entering retirement age, it can be expected that this number will skyrocket in the coming years. With this in mind, focusing on proper elder care and curtailing nursing home abuse should be a priority.

In putting your loved ones in a nursing home, you expect them to be treated as you would treat them yourself. But how do you know that your loved ones are getting the care that they deserve? Neglect and abuse are the two major categories of concern. Neglect is the most common, and it generally stems from overworked and stressed out employees. Some of the more common problems in this category are:

• Incorrect body positioning -- which leads to limb contractures and skin breakdown;
• Lack of toileting or changing of disposable briefs -- which causes incontinence and results in residents sitting in urine and feces, increased falls and agitation, indignity and skin breakdown;
• Lack of assistance eating and drinking -- which leads to malnutrition and dehydration;
• Lack of assistance with walking -- which leads to lack of mobility;
• Lack of bathing -- which leads to indignity, and poor hygiene;
• Poor handwashing techniques -- which leads to infection;
• Lack of assistance with participating in activities of interest -- which leads to withdrawal and isolation;
• Ignoring call bells or cries for help.
• Mistakes with medicine. Nursing home residents generally receive their medication at the same time. Pill mix-ups happen with alarming frequency.

Nursing home abuse is, sadly, a common problem here in the United States. Abuse includes:

• Physical abuse from a staff member or an intruder or visitor from outside the facility -- including hitting, pinching, shoving, force-feeding, scratching, slapping, and spitting;
• Psychological or emotional abuse -- including berating, ignoring, ridiculing, or cursing a resident, threats of punishment or deprivation;
• Sexual abuse -- including improper touching or coercion to perform sexual acts;
• Substandard care which often results in one or more of the following conditions -- immobilization, incontinence, dehydration, pressure sores, and depression;
• Rough handling during care giving, medicine administration or moving a resident.

In some cases, abuse and neglect go on unchecked because the victims are either unable to speak for themselves or are afraid to do so. Because of this, its important to recognize some of the signs.
• Injuries requiring emergency treatment or hospitalization
• Any incident involving broken bones, especially a fractured hip
• Any injury or death occurring during or shortly after an episode of wandering (including outside the facility) when the staff is not aware that the resident is missing for some period of time
• Heavy medication or sedation
• Rapid weight loss or weight gain without physician or family notification and a change in treatment being provided
• Unexplained or unexpected death of the resident
• One nursing home resident injures another resident
• Resident is frequently ill, and the illnesses are not promptly reported to the physician and family

* Sources: Nursing Home Alert.com

The New York State Department of Health has a website that gives detailed descriptions and reports of every in the State. This is a useful tool to help you find out if your loved ones are in a reputable home, or to help you select a home that would be the best for them.

Putting a loved one in a nursing home is a hard enough decision without worrying about whether or not they are getting the care that they deserve. Make sure that you are dealing with a reputable home, and be aware of the warning signs.