Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

There are already several million seniors living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This number can only grow as baby boomers retire, become frail and enter a nursing home. As nursing home residents increase in number, the number of incidents related to abuse and neglect may increase. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the preventable conditions of malnutrition, dehydration, and infected bedsores were the combined cause of nearly 14,000 deaths in nursing home patients between 1999 and 2002. This figure is likely low since the government relies heavily on nursing home to self-report such incidents.

Nursing home neglect

Nursing home neglect is far more common than one might think. Because many nursing homes are for-profit organizations, they have an incentive to scrimp on staff, training and other basics that could reduce problems. Because they are reimbursed by the government at a rate that does not usually cover the full cost of elder care, nursing homes have another incentive to cut expenses where they can. The result is neglect of residents and violation of their elder rights.

The reasons for abuse and neglect are complex, but the overwhelming reason is a chronic lack of enough well-trained and well-supervised nursing staff to provide necessary care. A 2001 federal study documented that more that ½ of all nursing homes do not employ enough nursing staff to avoid harm to residents, and more than 9 out of 10 do not employ enough nurses and nursing assistants to provide good care.

Nursing home neglect can be thought of as a pattern of inattention and disregard for the needs of residents. Examples of neglect are:

• Failing to turn patients in bed or positioning them correcting
• Failing to help them with toileting needs
• Failing to help with eating and drinking
• Failing to bathe patients or make baths available
• Failing to provide assistive equipment or supervision when the patient is walking
• Failing to respond to call bells or requests for help

The result of neglectful care can be:

• Bedsores / Pressure Sores
• Falls
• Dehydration and malnutrition
• Overall decline in cognition and/or activities of daily living

Nursing home abuse

Abuse, unlike neglect, requires one person to take some action that harms another. Although less common than neglect, nursing home abuse often goes unseen and unreported until it is too late, primarily because there is frequently not enough staff in a facility to observe the abuse. Under such circumstances, it is easy to hide. Examples of nursing home abuse:

• Sexual abuse
• Hitting or slapping a resident or other physical abuse
• Emotional abuse, such as shouting, swearing and belittling
• Punishing by overusing restraints or withholding food and liquid
• Theft and exploitation

Abusive behavior on the part of nursing home staff can result in broken bones, bruises, withdrawal and fearful behavior, and even death.

Seek help from a lawyer right away if you suspect abuse or neglect

If you believe that a loved one in a nursing home is experiencing either abuse or neglect, it is important to seek help right away. At my law office, I obtain medical records and analyze them to determine whether the care has been neglectful or abusive. If the records indicate abuse or neglect, options include filing a complaint seeking compensation and damages on behalf of the elderly person.

Contact the Seattle law office of Catherine S. Strong, RN, BSN, JD for any issue related to nursing home neglect or abuse. Let me use my combination of legal and nursing background to help restore the rights of your loved one.