Articles Posted in Nursing Home Abuse & Negligence

Warm weather is a wonderful thing for just about everyone, but for the elderly who are in care or in nursing homes, hot weather can mean a whole new area of risks. While most nursing homes are contentious about providing quality care year-round, not all facilities take extra precautions during the summer. Unfortunately, some instances of negligence and abuse occur in nursing homes at this time of year because some facilities are simply not prepared for the warm weather. If you have an elderly loved one in a nursing home or other care facility, now is a good time to check that the facility is taking care of your loved one. Some questions to ask include:

1) Does the nursing home provide air conditions, fans, or other devices for cooling the air? Extremely warm temperatures are uncomfortable and for the elderly they can be dangerous. Very high temperatures can lead to weakness, trouble breathing, and other health problems. High temperatures can also be dehydrating and can lead to slip and fall accidents or trip and fall accidents if patients get weak. Make sure that the facility is kept at a reasonable temperature at all times.

2) Does the nursing home provide plenty of fresh water and drinks that are in easy-to-reach places? During the warm weather, proper hydration is essential as the body loses more water. Plenty of fresh water and other drinks should be available, but should be available in such a way that each patient can easily reach a drink at any time. For example, bed-ridden patients should be provided with plenty of fresh water and drinks right by their bedside.

Nursing home sexual abuse is a serious concern and unfortunately it is also a concern that is often ignored. A cross-check of state sexual offender websites completed by a local Florida news team found that about 80 sex offenders were living in Florida nursing homes last year. An investigative journalist found that in many cases, it was unknown to other residents and their families at these facilities that a sexual offender was present.

While parents are often careful to check state databases to locate sexual offenders and are even often willing to take group action to prevent court-ordered sexual offenders from moving into neighborhoods with children, the same precautions are generally not taken with nursing home residents. It is unfortunate, because nursing home residents are also very vulnerable.

Nursing home residents often feel as though they have no choice but to live with the other residents of their nursing home. If there is a sexual predator in the nursing home, it is often difficult for residents to escape. Some nursing home residents feel ashamed or embarrassed to report sexual abuse and in many nursing homes patients have unlimited access to each other resident’s rooms, essentially allowing predators free rein. In some cases, nursing home residents are disabled or otherwise not able to protect themselves. This makes them especially vulnerable to nursing home and elder abuse. As well, the elderly can be severely physically injured in a sexual assault. Sexual assault can lead to broken bones, head injuries, and other serious injuries.

Families place their elderly loved ones into nursing homes hoping to provide them with a high level of care. When those elderly loved ones sustain a personal injury in the nursing home, there is often a great deal of emotion and many questions. Families may feel that an accident is the result of abuse or negligence while homes may claim that the incident is the result of the aging process. In many cases, nursing home injuries can be traced back to a number of reasons:

1) Poor muscle tone. Our muscles can lose tone as we age, especially if we lead a sedentary lifestyle. Poor muscle tone can lead to slip and fall accidents and other injuries. However, a nursing home may be found negligent in such cases if patients are not given access to exercise options and health care which keeps their muscles in good condition.

2) Poor reflexes. As we get older, our reflex actions become slower. This can cause us to have falls or to be less steady on our feet. This can lead to nursing home injuries in many cases. However, nursing homes should have features which enhance safety for the elderly. For example, there should be grip bars in bathrooms and along hallways, so that people can grasp these bars to prevent a fall.

For many families, the possibility of nursing home abuse and negligence is one of the worst nightmares possible. Families place their loved ones in nursing homes so that elderly loved ones get the care they need in their older age. When staff are guilty of abuse and negligence, fatalities, personal injury and emotional upheaval are all too often the results. In order to address possible abuse and negligence in a nursing home, it is important to identify what type of negligence or abuse may be taking place:

1) Physical abuse. Physical abuse is one of the most common forms of abuse in a nursing home setting, and it can involve anything from beatings and physical assault to food and water deprivation, sexual assault, abuse of physical restraints, and other forms of abuse. This type of abuse often leaves physical marks, such as dehydration, weight loss, burn injuries, bed sores, bruises, broken bones, black eyes, behavioral changes, and other clues. Both nursing home staff and other patients can be perpetrators of this type of abuse.

2) Psychological abuse, or emotional abuse. This type of abuse can include verbal abuse, isolation, threats, humiliation, and other behaviors that are intended to create emotional pain. This form of abuse leaves fewer clues but patients who have been victimized by this form of abuse may show symptoms of confusion, anger, withdrawal, depression, and other emotional upheavals. Both nursing home staff and other patients can be perpetrators of this type of abuse.

According to experts, understaffing may be leading to instances of negligence and abuse in the nation’s nursing homes and elder care facilities. Most homes for seniors are for-profit organizations and families pay an average of $71,000 per year to offer their loved ones access to such a facility. However, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 90% of nursing homes across the country do not have adequate numbers of staff to provide good care. Experts say that understaffed facilities are more likely to offer substandard care and are more likely to have patients who are victims of negligence and abuse.

Understaffing, according to experts, can create conditions where mistakes can occur. Overworked nursing home employees may be too distracted to check medications or allergy information, for example, leading to potentially deadly mistakes. Not enough staff can mean less supervision during recreational times and washing, leading to slip and fall accidents and other problems. Too few staff can also result in too little personal interaction between patients and staff. In rare cases, overworked staff may feel resentful and overburdened, conditions that may pave the way for cases of abuse and negligence.

In addition to understaffing, the Department of Health and Human Services reports that most nursing homes have underpaid and overworked staff, which results in high worker turnover and even lower quality of care. At some nursing homes, the turnover rate is 100% yearly. High turnover rates mean lower quality care as staff are essentially always learning and are not given the opportunity to get to know patients and to become aware of any special care that patients need.

Any Florida family with a loved one in an assisted care facility may want to sit up and listen to the news out of Canada. In the city of Edmonton, an elderly man has died in a nursing home after drinking industrial dishwashing liquid. The man, Floyd Taylor, suffered burn injuries after drinking the chemical and died as a result of the incident. Taylor lived in t the Kipnes Centre for Veterans and was seen by witnesses spitting liquid into a sink on Sept. 12. It is now believed that liquid was the industrial dishwashing liquid that eventually killed him.

Taylor had Alzheimer’s disease. When staff discovered that he had burns, he was taken to a hospital, where it was discovered that he had sustained serious burns to his mouth, vocal cords and esophagus. Taylor died four days later in hospital. The Taylor family thinks that the man drank the fluid thinking it was juice and believe the incident was preventable. It is not known whether a wrongful death suit will result from the accident.

Alberta Health Services is investigating the death and trying to determine whether the dishwashing liquid was left out inappropriately or was left in a cupboard that was unlocked.

Nursing home abuse and negligence is a serious problem, and one way you can help prevent it is to select a nursing home for your elderly relative very carefully. Florida has a number of nursing home and care facilities, and you can select the right one by:

1) Looking locally. Look for a nursing home care facility that is close to friends and family. This ensures that the resident of the nursing home will receive visitors often. In turn, frequent visitors are the best way to help prevent nursing home abuse and negligence. Frequent visitors can ask questions about any evident bruising, depression, or other red flag signs. Plus, if a resident has frequent visitors, it is harder for abusive caregivers to hide evidence of slip and fall accidents, undernourishment, and other personal injuries.

2) Asking a lot of questions. Call nursing homes that are within driving distance and ask about staffing, licensing, resident activities, certification, bed availability, special care amenities, and cost.

According to Quality of Care in Nursing Homes, a recent government report, the country’s nursing homes and assisted living communities are showing a frightening trend towards increased health and safety failures. Although a number of lawsuits against communities have raised awareness about the problem, the industry still seems to be failing some residents. According to experts, there are a number of reasons why this abuse and neglect is allowed to occur:

*Lack of background checks. Currently, over half of all states require nursing home staff to get some form of background check, but no national background check is required. A 2005 report from the Government Accountability Office criticized this procedure, as it allows potentially unqualified staff to slip through into employment.

*A combination of residents. Recently, this blog reported on a nursing home resident who was violently assaulted by a fellow resident. That story highlighted a common problem: various residents are often placed in one home. Some residents may have criminal records or violent pasts and may be placed with little supervision alongside residents who may not be able to resist. This can lead to assault and resultant personal injury.

Many cases of nursing home abuse and neglect continue on simply because friends and loved ones overlook warning signs that indicate that something is wrong. It is important to never overlook these signs, as abuse and neglect can lead to serious personal injury and even to premature death. The red flags of neglect and abuse in nursing homes are :

*Weight Loss. Staff of a nursing home should offer nutritious food and water that helps keep weight steady. For the elderly, sudden weight loss can lead to weakness and an inability to fight off illnesses. Although some medications and conditions can cause weight loss, it is important that staff make every effort to keep weight steady.

*Bruises. Any mark or bruise should be brought to the attention of staff and a full explanation should be offered. An analysis of why the bruise occurred is important. In the elderly, bruising can take a long time to heal. Bruises and marks can also be a sign of inadequate monitoring, of abuse, or of unreported slip and fall accidents.

40 years ago this week, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) instituted National Nursing Home Week. Meant as a time of education and awareness, the week aims to help people think about care options for the elderly. This week has been National Nursing Home Week, and the AHCA hopes that people will continue to discuss and think about nursing facility life not only this week, but in the weeks to come.

The AHCA suggests that this week is a perfect time to visit loved ones in facilities, as many facilities around the country will be hosting special events. According to the AHCA, the week aims to honor not only those who live in care homes, but also the caregivers, nurses, and staff that enrich nursing home life.

Florida attorneys think that National Nursing Home Week is a great idea. There certainly should be a celebration of the dedicated staff and nurses who work at care facilities. However, Florida lawyers who see cases of personal injury, slip and fall accidents, and instances of nursing home abuse and negligence, know that this week can be an important week of prevention, as well.