Posts Tagged ‘Nursing’

North Carolina Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer – CheckMyNursingHome.com

Saturday, June 18th, 2011

 

We are North Carolina Nursing Home Negligence Attorneys with offices in Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, Dunn, Southern Pines, and Wilmington. We focus our personal injury practice on Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Bicycle Accidents, Workplace Injuries, Dangerous Drugs, Defective Medical Devices, and Nursing Home Negligence. www.lawyernc.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Kentucky Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys Say to Check for Signs of Elder Abuse
Every day should be an elder abuse awareness day, say Bowling Green personal injury lawyers J. Marshall Hughes and Lee Coleman. (PRWeb June 17, 2011) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/kentucky-injury-attorney/elder-abuse-awareness/prweb8582858.htm
Read more on PRWeb

Other Comments -
Question by altpro9: What should i consider when picking a lawyer to sue a nursing home???

how do i go about doin that syl??

Best answer:

Answer by Syl
Look up previous cases and see who handled the case, what the circumstances were, and if they won the case.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Nursing Jobs Different Types for RN’s – CheckMyNursingHome.com

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

RNs, or registered nurses, can work in a variety of jobs, including everything from intermediate care to the ICU. Discover how to work as an RN in home health, travel nursing or oncology with help from a licensed RN in this free video on nursing jobs and health care. Expert: Kayti Brosnan Bio: Kayti Brosnan has been a licensed RN in the state of Texas since 2003. Filmmaker: Todd Green
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Other Comments -
Question by That’s so lols.: Nursing jobs.?
I’m enrolled into a nursing program at a local college, however, it doesn’t necessarily interest me a whole lot.

I also am on my way to getting an esthetician license. My dream job: Working for a dermatologist or plastic surgeon as a RN Esthetician. However, I’m unsure if this will be a reliable job.

My question is:
Can somebody name off some jobs I can get with an RN degree.

I know that there’s so many nursing jobs out there, I just don’t know where to go. (Other than becoming an RN Esthetician)

Best answer:

Answer by lucilla@CIMA Services
Go to the link below and check out the nursing job sites.
You can check to see what jobs are available with an RN degree.

Give your answer to this question below!

California Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse – CheckMyNursingHome.com

Monday, May 30th, 2011

 

www.iqnursinghomes.com – Specialist CA lawyer at iq nursing home representing abused, financially exploited elderly victims in iq nursing homes throughout California.

Other Comments -
Question by Captain Quirk: How much money is a nursing home entitled to if a person is in the home for a short time?
My grandmother recently suffered a massive stroke that required her to be placed in a nursing home. Before they agreed to admit her the nursing home had to have all of my her insurance and also her bank account.
Here is the thing. She died after ten days. Can the home legally keep all of my grandmother’s life insurance and whatever was left in her bank account? Do we need a lawyer to resolve this matter?
Please help.

Best answer:

Answer by Shaniqua Johnson
Depends on what kind of paperwork you signed when she entered the nursing home. Pay a lawyer to look over the paperwork. If your Grandmother would have lived another 20 years and ran out of money in one year, you wouldn’t expect the nursing home to put her in a wheelchair and leave her outside until you came to get her either.

Give your answer to this question below!

What Is Nursing Home Abuse

Monday, May 16th, 2011
Nursing Home Abuse
by id-iom

Despite greater awareness, nursing home abuse is still running rampant in the United States. Our elderly family, friends, and neighbors are still being neglected to the point where serious harm can come to them. And many of them are being forced to try to survive in absolutely terrible living conditions.

Neglect or physical abuse is any failure or any action that can cause unreasonable misery, suffering, harm, or injury to the resident of a nursing home that is caused by a healthcare provider.

Financial abuse includes misusing the resident’s funds to pay for services that have already been paid by a federal or state program. It could also be the misuse of nursing home resident’s funds that weren’t authorized by the resident, the trustee, the guardian, or the administrator of the resident.

Physical abuse includes sexually assaulting the resident, striking the resident, and/or withholding adequate or necessary physical care, food, or medical attention.

It’s been almost ten years since the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee issued a special report about nursing home abuse. The report found that nursing home abuse was a significant and widespread problem.

That report found that in only two years, 1999 and 2000, there were more than 9,000 cases of reported abuse in 30% of the nursing homes in the US.

In other words, there was nursing home abuse in almost 5,200 residences that are responsible for the well being of some of our elderly population. Sadly, much of the abuse actually harmed the residents. In excess of 1,500 of the cases that were reported to Congress were so severe as “to cause actual harm to residents or to place the residents in immediate jeopardy of death or serious injury.”

The abuses that were reported included sexual abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and more.

Abuse violations had risen dramatically from 1966 to 2000. They skyrocketed from 5.9% to 16%. And many of the nursing homes were repeat offenders. They had multiple reports of violations on their records. The percentage of assisted living and nursing home violations is on the rise.

The homes that were cited in the report accommodate more than half a million residents.

If you see any of the warning signs of sexual or physical abuse or if you believe that a criminal act has been perpetrated then you should contact an attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse.

Question by ladybug: Hi I wrote an article on nursing home abuse, and I don’t know what magazine I should submit it to.?
the New Yorker? Wall Street Journal? O magazine? any ideasss :) please telll =)

Best answer:

Answer by shiningstar123
Maybe you should send it to all 3, that way there would be a greater chance of it being published. Hope I helped!

Give your answer to this question below!


Local Advocate for Victims and Families of Nursing Home Abuse Denounces Last-Minute Rule Change by Bush Administration

Wood River, IL (PRWEB) March 1, 2009

Brad Lakin of LakinChapman, LLC, a noted advocate for victims and families of nursing home abuse, denounced last-minute rule changes by the Bush Administration that will benefit the $ 144 billion nursing home industry and make it harder for families to investigate claims of abuse.

 

This change was just one of a large array of “midnight” rule changes put forward by the Bush Administration during the last weeks before the transition.

 

Lakin said, “The Bush Administration quietly slipped in this major rule change just before leaving office. The effect is going to be extremely damaging to victims and families of nursing home abuse and will make it more difficult for them to investigate claims of abuse as part of a lawsuit.”

 

The rule itself designates that state nursing home inspectors and Medicare and Medicaid contractors are federal employees, and thus are prohibited from providing evidence in a lawsuit.

 

Lakin explained, “Families investigating abuse claims by filing a lawsuit will be prohibited from interviewing and collecting evidence of abuse form these inspectors. The interviews and evidence collected by these state employees can be crucial in establishing abuse claims.”

 

The 6,800 state nursing home inspectors are the front line of defense for victims as they investigate complaints and survey facilities to make certain they comply with nursing home regulations.

 

“This rule change may have a significant chilling effect on lawsuits designed to uncover and protect nursing home abuse. Advocates for nursing home abuse victims will be working to overturn these unfair, pro-industry rules. I urge anyone with family members in nursing homes to contact their Congressional representatives immediately,” Lakin said.

 

Lakin is the author of a guide for families with loved ones in a nursing home that is available for free at http://www.nursinghomechoice.com.

 

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Who is The Best Nursing Home in California

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Choosing from the best nursing homes in California is a task that requires a lot of attention and inspection. It is basically a place where old or sick people who require quite a bit of attention or medical care can stay. The best nursing homes in Los Angeles are great facilities if you want to have a loved one who is in need of constant attention to be well looked after.

When you are searching for one of the best nursing homes in Los Angeles CA, there are quite a few things that you need to take into consideration. The first and foremost thing you need to do is to make a list of all the nursing homes that are available in the area and the best place to find these would be to check the yellow pages or your telephone directory. You should also find the address and phone numbers here. You can also look for the best nursing homes in California on the Net and see if you can find any medicare 5 star ratings to give you a fair idea of what they are made up of.

Once you have made your list of the best nursing homes in California then you can call up each of them and eliminate some based on how they respond to your phone calls. Next, visit each of the remaining best nursing homes in Los Angeles CA; observe the building in which they are housed, the facilities that they provide and the overall well-being of the inmates already staying there. If you find that they don’t look very healthy or happy then it would definitely not be a place to keep your loved ones.

The best nursing homes in Los Angeles CA should have different activities for the senior citizens depending on what each one’s requirement is. This will keep boredom from coming into their lives and creating a monotony which will lead to unhappiness. The administrator should not decide on the activities based on his or her own wishes but based on each individual’s needs and what he or she enjoys. Check if the best nursing homes in California have entertainment rooms and appropriate facilities if your loved one loves to sing or dance.

A good nursing home should have an experienced nutritionist; the food is also a form of enjoyment for them. When you choose from the best nursing homes in California make sure that you check the best reviews for nursing homes. See what the things that your aged family members who will live there might prefer. After all, they will be spending most of the remaining days of their lives there; so they should like the place and be happy. If you can find one of the best rated nursing homes close to your home then it would be easier for you to visit them often so that they don’t feel lonely. There are so many best nursing homes in Los Angeles CA but you have to choose the finest for your loved one.

Question by Pascha: Are crimes committed in nursing homes ever reported to the police?
Or are mysteriously broken bones, thefts, etc., just covered up by the nursing homes?
Broken bones for which there is no reasonable explanation SHOULD be reported to the police. The family should not be told they are not allowed to ask the staff what happened and be afraid that if they reported it.someone would be ticked off and something worse would happen. But that is what once happened in one of those places. Sometimes even a watchful family has no place to turn.

Best answer:

Answer by Richard C
Yes, and often. It depends on the quality of the person in the home and the attention of the family just like any crime.

Add your own answer in the comments!

County nursing homes’ cost eyed
ERIE — County governments across Pennsylvania are trying to decide whether to get out of the nursing home business, citing the cost of the facilities and competition from private homes.
Read more on Times Leader

What’s the Difference Between an RN & a PN? – CheckMyNursingHome.com

Monday, April 4th, 2011

The difference between an RN and a PN is that they have had different schooling, and PNs have certain limitations in a hospital setting. Learn about the limitations of PNs in regard to the administration of medication with help from a licensed RN in this free video on nursing jobs and health care. Expert: Kayti Brosnan Bio: Kayti Brosnan has been a licensed RN in the state of Texas since 2003. Filmmaker: Todd Green

Joblessness up in May, despite openings
The largest industry in Southwest Ohio has jobs open to fill, but can’t fill enough nursing, doctor and medical technician positions to keep unemployment rates at bay.Unemployment in Butler County increased the first time this year in May to 8.7 percent, or an estimated 16,400 people, compared to 8.5 percent in April, according to the jobs report released Tuesday by Ohio Job and Family Services.
Read more on Fairfield Echo

Other Comments -
Question by liv t: Nursing Jobs?
I live in Boston where it seems like the majority of women I know are nurses or any girl in her 20′s or 30′s has gone back to school for nursing. These could be women who have already done a 4 year degree in business, spanish, marketing, but they decide to return to nursing school to get a 2 year associates degree in nursing. My mom earned a BSN in 4 years, she was a nurse at 21. My aunt, grandmother, and cousin all did the same thing. My cousin got her nursing degree at an ivy league school. Seems funny that someone can go to a two year community college, get an associates and make the same salary she does! What do you think will happen in the future of nursing? Many women are doing it because ‘the money is good’ or ‘it only takes two years to get the degree.’ I wonder how many of them are actually passionate about it. Nursing is not easy, I feel like nursing is becoming less professional than it once was since everyone is doing it. What do you think?
I guess i’m wondering if they pay wont be as good for nurses in the future since it seems like everyone is doing it.

Best answer:

Answer by k9chowchow
me don’t know

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Who Is The Best Nursing Home in Miami

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

There comes a time in our lives when we all have to look for the best nursing homes in Miami FL to take care of our aging loved ones. Because of the extremely busy lives that we lead today the best rated nursing homes are very much in demand. Our parents have done so much for us so the least that we can do in return is to look for one of the best nursing homes in Florida so that they can spend the most of the remaining days of their lives in comfort and company, at the same time being well cared for which is not possible in your home while we are at work.

As the demand for these best nursing homes in Florida has gone up, you find that there are so many of them mushrooming all over the state; so you have to be careful while choosing one. Check out the best reviews for nursing homes and make sure they have medicare 5 star ratings. It should not happen that you spend a lot of money for one of the supposedly best nursing homes in Miami FL only to find that your aged parents are unhappy and not well looked after.

The best nursing homes in Miami will have a license to operate; if they are operating illegally will imply that they have not met all the conditions laid out by the government. Even if they do have a license you cannot assume that they will be providing quality service so you have to check it out yourself. Visit some of the best nursing homes in Florida and see how the residents are being taken care of. Do they look healthy and happy? See how the caregivers interact with them. Are they patient, polite and show concern? You cannot have them shouting at your loved ones.

The best nursing homes in Florida should be clean and comfortable. Check out the rooms, the beds, air-conditioning, bathrooms and general hygiene of the facility. Make sure everything is working properly. The best nursing homes in Miami FL should also take into account the safety of the elderly. If your loved one is in a wheelchair then check if there are enough ramps around the place to make sure he or she is mobile. Also, take into account whether they are particular about taking precautions so as to avoid accidents.

Most nursing home residents look forward to their meals so make sure that the best nursing homes in Miami that you shortlist make meals that are tasty as well as nutritious. Check out the kitchen and see if they maintain hygiene; visit at meal time to see how things are and ask the residents if they are happy with their meals. The best nursing homes in Florida will have professional nurses round the clock to look after the residents; they will monitor their health and administer any medicine if need be.

 

Hey Harrison, remember when I said I would call a nursing home with that Bob Chandler soundboard? Too bad I didn’t get the results I wanted.

Question by zombiefrog: Do some nursing homes really train you to become a certified nurse assistant?
I am looking for a way to help others and be happy. I heard about certified nursing assistants. People work at nursing homes and sometimes acquire their certificate there to help boost the amount of CNAs. Do you know of any links for this? I did an online search for nursing homes but they seem to want experienced people working for them. Any advice?

Best answer:

Answer by phylobri
Go to some local nursing homes and speak with the personeel department. I see ads in the paper where I live all the time for nusing assistants and our local hospital hires and trains people for the exam. I think you have to agree to work for them a set amount of time. Good luck.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Nursing Home Abuse From Malnutrition Or Starvation

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Malnutrition is the silent form of nursing home abuse that can’t necessarily be seen by the naked eye. While it is normal for patients to lose a few pounds in the initial days of residence, it is not normal for a patient to continuously lose weight after a brief adjustment period.
Unfortunately cases of nursing home abuse that are the result of malnutrition often aren’t caught until it is too late. The resident of the home has already lost an excessive amount of body weight and illness has set in before malnutrition is discovered. This type of abuse often crosses the desks of lawyers as a wrongful death suit. Malnutrition in the elderly can often be deadly.
Nursing home abuse lawyers are working diligently to catapult the laws and the punishments for breaking those laws to a much higher level of consciousness within the court systems. Already, tens of thousands of lawsuits are filed annually. This is an alarming amount of nursing home lawsuits, and a definite societal concern. These problems are not just about the beating of an elderly woman, they are about the neglectful care that our elderly fall under when no one is watching.
Nursing home lawsuits set a standard of care faster than anything else. Once a jury determines there is monetary value in a claim, it becomes of similar value across the board, more or less. Nursing home abuse lawsuits are staggering, both in their horrific nature and in their jury awards. Lawyers work tirelessly for victims who all too often are unable to speak for themselves, sometimes as a result of the nursing home abuse. Malnutrition in the elderly can lead to dementia, coma, and death if it is not discovered early in the process. Often an illness or infection will set in, exposing both the malnutrition and the abuse at the same time.
However, many families believe the information they are given such as the resident did not wish to eat and there were no warning signs of malnutrition setting in. It is up to the family to determine to call a lawyer to have the matter investigated thoroughly. Explanations may be acceptable in one case, but often nursing homes that are in violation of nursing home abuse laws have several cases of malnutrition in their record, and its usually a record that is shocking to those who ask a lawyer to investigate their claims.
Often family members are hesitant to call a nursing home abuse lawyer despite their concerns because they are afraid of pointing a finger at an innocent facility. The truth of the matter is, this is such a rampant problem that even reputable nursing homes expect to be contacted by a few lawyers. Of course, those without cause have nothing to hide and are not immediately put on guard and understand a family’s desire to keep their loved one safe. Typically, facilities that are hiding their record, intentions, or actual abuse are going to be the ones most likely to give signs of patient retaliation.
Unfortunately it happens more regularly than most people realize.

Once a nursing home abuse lawyer has determined whether or not there is enough evidence to proceed with a lawsuit, the family can then start making decisions about how to proceed with their loved one’s care. It obviously doesn’t make good sense to leave a loved one in the same care that you are filing a lawsuit against. Though a nursing home lawyer can only provide what they are capable by law, a lawyer is likely to know which facilities have had no substantiated or successful lawsuits filed against them under current management.
Nursing home lawsuits, as well as nursing home abuse lawyers, are the front line of defense against abuse and neglect. It is an unfortunate state of affairs that this type of attention is needed to care for our elderly. Without lawsuits, the progression of nursing home abuse laws would never have come as far as they have. They still have a long way to go before the punishment fits the crime, but at least there is continually progress thanks to lawyers who went to bat for a few older, lonely souls in the not so distant past.

Question by Jenny: My grandmother’s fingernail was missing….nursing home abuse?
Hi everyone. I just left my grandmother who is in a nursing home and is suffering from dementia. My mom and I noticed that one of her thumbnails was completely off, except for part of it that was still there (on the very right side and this part looked healthy). We thought this was weird. We looked at her other nails and they looked like there was dirt under them and a few others were yellow and cracking.

We asked the nurse about it and she said that sometimes the nails get dry and fall off and that this is normal with age. Now I want to know IF this is normal, or could we have a case of nursing home abuse here? I dont want to overlook this because there might be an abuse issue here. I am concerned that her thumbnail was ripped off only because I saw part of the nail still there and that part was healthy. Does anyone have any idea if its normal for you to lose your nails as you age and/or for them to turn yellow and thick? Thanks.

Best answer:

Answer by TKS
Yes, older people often have thick yellow nails. They also do dry out and easily get caught on things and tear or break off. Take your grandmother some good hand lotion and put it on for her when you come visit.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Who Is The Best Nursing Home in Texas

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Nobody really likes the idea of going to a nursing home unless it is really a better life that they can look forward too. People would rather stay in their own homes or stay with a friend or relative but with the busy lives that we lead today it is just not possible for this to happen on a long term basis. Going to one of the best nursing homes in Texas can be a positive experience but then it all depends on your choice and the taste of your aging loved one. There are plenty of best nursing homes in Houston so you can take your pick.

So how do you go about looking for these best nursing homes in Houston and what do you look for in terms of quality? There are plenty of factors that affect the quality of service provided by the best nursing homes in Texas and they all add up to keeping your loved one healthy and happy. The best rated nursing homes are normally equipped with professional nurses as well as caregivers who are available round the clock administering medicine and assessing the health of the inmates. Check out the ratio of staff to residents and the turnover of the staff; this should give you a fair idea of what the nursing home is about.

The best nursing homes in Texas should provide at best about 4 hours of nursing care per resident.  Some nursing homes might be able to provide lesser number of hours per resident and this would not be good for your loved one as the attention and care that he or she gets would be much less. Also, if the staff members go on quitting and new replacements come in, it can have an adverse effect on the residents so choose form the best nursing homes in Houston where staff turnover is low.

Before choosing from the many best nursing homes in Houston, make sure you evaluate each of them for cleanliness. Check if the floor is polished and the carpet free of stains. There should be no unpleasant odors. How clean the facility is will reflect the pride the administrators take and the respect they have for their senior citizens. The best nursing homes in Texas will have a dietary department which will take care of the meals making sure they are not only nutritious and appetizing but also as per the preferences of the residents. Also make sure they have the medicare 5 star ratings and read all the best reviews for nursing homes that you can find.

The best nursing homes in Texas should also have an activities department to help the nursing home residents have fun and social interaction. They organize simple games for them; they can have a talent competition; anything where they can do stuff that they enjoy. After visiting several of the best nursing homes in Houston it is up to you to decide which one to pick for your loved one. If it is close to your home you can visit often; so keep that in mind.

Is there an upside to the tight bed occupancy situation in public hospitals? A recent ST article “The upside to hospital bed crunch” (13 Apr 2010) said that integrated care has been given a boost with the need to ease pressure on beds. With an ageing population, we certainly need to do more to step up integrated care with community hospitals, nursing homes, home nursing and community self help groups. The key thing is to ensure that patients receive appropriate continuing care after their discharge from hospitals. This will ensure that the needed bed is freed up for someone who needs it more, and at the same time enable the patient who is well enough for discharge to return to the comfort of their homes. In this video, Staff Nurse Esther provides a look at what goes on at a nursing home.
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Related Nursing Homes Articles

Question by In the Kitchen: How do medicaid wait lists work at nursing homes?
While shopping for a nursing home, I am told each home has a waitlist of 2.5 years and that new residents need to private pay.

I’m curious…once you are in there, do you think some nursing homes freely move people up and down the waitlist based on the type of care they need, if they like the family, etc? No one is going to show you the waitlist due to privacy, so one never knows where the truth lies.

Best answer:

Answer by sandra t
a waitlist usually means when a resident dies or leaves the facility a new resident that’s on the list can come to the home. sure most nursing homes would rather have private pay than medicaid. because medicaid only pays so much. i think they do as they want. i used too work in nursing home. it’s all about the money. not the individual needs.(most of the time)

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Special Report: Rating U.P. Nursing Homes, part 1 of 2
There are 30 nursing homes across the Upper Peninsula, and overall, they rate pretty well
Read more on WLUC Marquette

Nursing Home Abuse And Senior Living Centers

Monday, December 20th, 2010

This week, the New York Times reported that 90 percent of all nursing homes have been cited for violating federal health and safety standards. Even worse, 94 percent of all privately-owned facilities were cited for such violations. It is clear that nursing home abuse and neglect has become an epidemic, and anyone with a loved one in a nursing home needs to be aware of this issue.

Nursing home residents rights are guaranteed by the federal 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires nursing homes to promote and protect the rights of each resident?.  Yet, as the New York Times recently made clear, nursing homes are not doing enough to protect their residents.

The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates at least one in 20 nursing home patients has been the victim of negligence and or abuse, though it concedes that the number is probably higher. According to the National Centers study, 57% of nurses aides in long-term care facilities admitted to having witnessed, and even participating in, acts of negligence and abuse.  Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that nursing home neglect played role in the deaths of nearly 14,000 nursing home patients between 1999 and 2002.

The New York Times report detailed a study conducted by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.   According to the inspector general, more than 1.5 million people live in the nations 15,000 nursing homes. To participate in Medicare and Medicaid, facilities must meet federal health and safety standards. These programs cover more than two-thirds of nursing home residents, and cost taxpayers more than billion per year.

According to the inspector generals report, in the past year, poor nursing home conditions were the subject of 37,150 complaints. Of those, 39 percent were later substantiated by inspectors, and at least 20 percent involved the abuse and neglect of patients.  Whats more, 17 percent of nursing homes had deficiencies that caused “actual harm or immediate jeopardy? to patients, the report said.

About two-thirds of the nations nursing homes are owned and operated by for-profit companies. Non- profit organizations own 27 percent, while government entities own and operate 6 percent. Of the facilities owned by non-profits, 88 percent were cited for violations, while 91 percent of government-run institutions received citations. According to the report for-profit nursing homes averaged 7.6 deficiencies per facility, while not-for-profit and government homes averaged 5.7 and 6.3, respectively.

To protect a loved one living in a nursing home, it is important to understand what constitutes nursing home abuse and how to spot it. The most common type of nursing home abuse is neglect. Understaffing at nursing homes is the main culprit behind this kind of abuse. Evidence of nursing home neglect includes bedsores and stiff joints, as well as signs of depression. A patient who appears over medicated or is needlessly sedated could be a victim of nursing home neglect.  The smell of urine or feces and poor personal hygiene are hallmarks of this problem.  Extreme unexplained weight loss in an otherwise healthy resident can also be a sign of abuse. And if visitors are made to wait while the staff readies a patient to see them, – or does not allow the visit at all – neglect could be the reason.

Nursing home neglect is as much a crime as any other form of abuse. Nursing home neglect robs patients of their dignity, and it can be deadly. Neglected nursing home patients have been known to wander away from facilities, and sadly some of these patients have died of exposure. Other unattended patients have been allowed to die as a result of undetected internal bleeding or other ailments that could have been corrected with proper medical care.

Physical abuse is an unfortunate fact of life in many nursing homes. Nursing home staff are often guilty of this crime, but abuse among residents is not unheard of. About 2500 cases of physical abuse by nursing home staff are being reported each year.  While physical abuse encompasses crimes like battery, it also includes placing a patient in excessive restraints or physically confining residents for no valid reason.  Over-medicating patients simply to keep them quiet, or withholding medical care are also forms of physical abuse.

And sadly, sexual abuse also occurs in nursing homes. Again, both staff and other residents can be guilty of this type of abuse. According to a 1996 Medicaid Fraud Report, 10% of all physical abuse cases in nursing homes are of a sexual nature. Sexual elder abuse is defined as non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with a nursing home resident. Sexual contact with any person incapable of giving consent is also considered sexual elder abuse.

Often, nursing home sexual abuse goes undetected. Sadly, the physical and cognitive impairments common among nursing home patients make it impossible for them to fight off sexual assailants or report sexual abuse. Some physical signs of nursing home sexual abuse bruising around breasts, upper abdomen, or inner thigh; is often evidence of inappropriate touching or worse. Signs that a nursing home resident has been the victim of a sexual assault include bleeding from the vagina or anus; the presence of a sexually transmitted disease; troubles walking or discomfort when sitting; and irritation or itching in genitals.

If nursing home abuse is suspected, immediate action must be taken. Call 911 if a resident appears to be in immediate danger, otherwise, report the situation to an administrator. All nursing homes are required to have formal complaint procedure and a staff person who is designated to review grievances. Submit specific information about your complaints and attempts to resolve them. If the situation is not resolved, then the problem should be reported state agency charged with overseeing nursing homes.  It may be necessary to remove a resident from a deficient nursing home if the problem is not corrected. In many cases of suspected nursing home abuse and neglect, it can be helpful to retain an experienced elder abuse lawyer to take action on a loved one’s behalf.

This is for my Disability Studies class. It is about the truth in nursing homes. Working in a nursing home myself, I hope to be an advocate for those who have been abused, or a family member who has lost a loved one from abuse.

Find More Nursing Home Abuse Articles

Question by Scooter9: Has anybody heard of nursing home abuse in the Fresno area?
*******Please only serious answers*******
If u have heard of any nursing home abuse reports in the FRESNO area(they dont have to be recent) please past a link here to the website proving your answer. Also feel free to share any stories u may have relating to this topic, it would be greatly appreciated. THNXXX

Best answer:

Answer by Lincoln6
How about Nursing Home abuse in all areas? The day that George Bush left office, he snuck in legislation, limiting people’s ability to sue Nursing Homes for malpractice. Was George a corporate butt kisser or what? Many Nursing Homes at night, have one Nurse to look after 50 to 60 patients.

Add your own answer in the comments!

State putting nursing home inspection reports online
The state started putting the findings of its nursing home inspectors online Wednesday in an effort
Read more on Lexington Herald-Leader

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