With nursing home abuse and neglect a growing concern, having to place your elderly loved one in one of these facilities can be a frightening and stressful proposition. Most nursing homes and elder care facilities today are understaffed, which means residents often do not get the complete care and attention they need. While there is no way to be 100% certain that your loved one will never be neglected or abused in a nursing home, there are some things you can do to put your mind at ease and help determine that the facility you choose is reputable and trustworthy.
Take a tour of the facility. You can often get a feel for the care provided at the nursing home by simply walking through and paying attention to the surroundings. Are there numerous residents who seem to be in a stupor? Are most of the residents in bed and unable to talk, as if they have been over-medicated? Pay attention to these small but significant signals.
Go to your State Health Department and ask for a complete profile of the facility you are considering for your loved one. A profile typically contains the number of complaints that have been filed against the nursing home, how many fines have been assessed and whether those fines have been paid or remain outstanding.
Dehydration and malnutrition are common problems in many nursing homes today. Visit the facility at various times including meal times and late in the evenings. When you visit during lunch or dinner time, take note of whether the food looks as though it is nutritional. Is water provided throughout the day?
Stop by the nursing home during those times that special care is given, such as physical therapy. Is the care being provided? Without a little investigating on your own, it’s often hard to know if recommended care is really being provided.
If your loved one is already in a nursing home facility, never ignore complaints that he/she is being mistreated. While you may think your loved one is just “imagining things” or suffering from dementia, take complaints seriously. Check regularly for bedsores, as they can get infected and eventually become fatal if not treated properly.
Talk to your loved one’s doctor, and make sure that he/she is actually checking in on your loved one and monitoring their health. If you have a hard time contacting your doctor, consider having another physician examine the patient to ensure he/she is in good health.
If you do see symptoms of abuse and/or neglect, report them to the state licensing office immediately, and follow up to ensure that proper action has been taken.
By doing your research and checking out the facility yourself during varied times throughout the day, you can get a feel for whether the facility provides good care to residents.
Brown Chiari is a team of New York nursing home lawyers who are dedicated to protecting the rights of those individuals in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Contact one of our personal injury attorneys in Buffalo NY.
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