As our friends and family members age, some may need to enter the care of nursing homes. While it’s not always the most ideal situation, round-the-clock care is a necessity and many people appreciate the help they get from these facilities.
Sadly, some homes are run better than others, and some patients don’t get the quality and compassionate treatment they deserve.
There are countless cases of abuse and neglect, and unfortunately some residents don’t even recognize signs of neglect or abuse because they may be under the impression that the way they’re treated is standard practice.
With that said, it’s important for residents to know what’s okay and what’s not okay, so that if they experience abusive treatment they can get help.
Medication Errors
In a busy nursing home, it may seem understandable and even forgivable if a resident is given the incorrect dosage of a drug or the wrong drug on accident. But these types of mistakes can have grave consequences.
Drug interactions can be harmful or even deadly, and an incorrect dose can cause serious problems. While the resident may dismiss it as an honest mistake, nursing home employees need to be held accountable for their actions. Failure to double check medication before administering it to residents is negligent care and should be treated as such.
Residents who suffer the consequences of being given incorrect medication or missed doses have the option to get a nursing home lawyer involved and should do so. One mistake is enough to cause concern and the staff should be watched much more closely, and more importantly, safety procedures need to be made so that mistakes don’t keep happening.
Failure to Provide Socialization and Activity Opportunities
Plenty of people are under the impression that all a nursing home has to provide is regular medical care and beds for the residents to sleep in. That’s simply not the case, though. Like anyone else, nursing home residents need to be provided with things that keep them healthy mentally as well, like opportunities for exercise and socialization.
Group activities should be planned within the home, and there should be common areas where people in the home can gather if they want to chat with fellow residents. Socialization not only lowers stress, but can improve memory and provide companionship.
People staying in nursing facilities may experience loneliness and socializing with other residents is a way of staving that off. As for physical activity, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the nursing home should have a basketball team or offer marathon training plans.
It simply means that residents should have opportunities available to get some exercise, even low-impact, if they so desire. Things like a track to walk around or a recreational room for exercise classes or programs are great for a nursing home to have.
Wearing ID Bracelets
In hospitals, patients wear ID bracelets to help more easily identify them. It makes sense in a hospital because most patients aren’t there very long-term, and it helps nursing staff provide more personalized and compassionate care.
However, in nursing homes, residents shouldn’t be required to wear ID bracelets unless it is suggested by a doctor that works directly with the patient and agreed upon by the resident.
Nursing home residents don’t need to wear identification at all times, and if nursing homes require this, it could be an indication of neglectful behavior—not wanting to check charts or learn residents’ names, etc. If someone you know is staying in a nursing home where all of the residents have to wear ID bracelets, you may want to ask the staff why they have that policy in place. Residents in nursing facilities should be treated like people, not just numbers.
About the author: Steven J. Malman is the founder and President of Malman Law, a personal injury law firm in Chicago, Illinois. Steven has experience representing victims in personal injury, nursing home abuse and neglect, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation and premises liability cases.