What to look for below the surface
Many
nursing home residents have limited abilities to communicate,
therefore identifying potential abuse requires careful
monitoring. Look for the signs of nursing home abuse in your
frequent
visits to the nursing home or assisted living facility.
- What are some signs that nursing home abuse is occurring?
It is always important to determine if a resident
is receiving proper care. Weight loss, bruises or welts,
frequent
swelling, dehydration, bedsores, or soiled clothing or
bed sheets
are clues that abuse is occurring. Also, the resident
may appear
withdrawn, fearful, or depressed. Regardless of the
resident’s
mental condition, i.e. suffers from Alzheimer’s
or dementia, listen to the resident and look for evidence.
Often, doctors
and nurses who are busy attending to many residents
at
once overlook physical as well as emotional signs of
abuse.
- How
can abuse be prevented for those who currently live in
a long-term care facility?
The most effective prevention is to combine strategies
to ensure a resident’s proper care. Under the Nursing
Home Reform Act, an assessment of the resident’s
interests, personality, and health care needs are used
to develop a care plan that
determines not only how the resident will be cared for
but also who will carry out the various tasks. State and
federal
legislation requires documentation of these care plans,
and you can monitor the plan and make sure it is being
followed.
Check records regularly, maintain contact with nurses and
doctors, and participate in care plan meetings. Help the
resident stay
connected with family, friends, and other residents as
much as possible, as social isolation increases the risks
of abuse.
Also, monitor any new employees who become responsible
for the resident’s care. Ask to see their credentials
and inquire of their background.
To learn more about prevention
strategies, or the Nursing Home Reform Act, visit the
National Center on Elder Abuse
at www.elderabusecenter.org
- Are there other forms of nursing home abuse?
Yes. Other forms of abuse can include the
misappropriation or theft of a resident’s funds or property, restriction
of private phone calls or visits from family members and friends,
restriction of visits from any state or local representative,
noncompliance with the resident’s decision to allow or
not allow visits, preventing the resident from moving or changing
facilities (if the resident is not mentally capable of such
a decision, the immediate family can intervene), restriction
of a resident’s religious observations, and the unlawful
eviction of a resident — federal law requires
that all care facilities provide a 30-day written notice
and
must document
a legal reason for discharge such as failure to pay
rent, inability to provide specific medical treatment,
etc.
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