Elderly people who claim of nursing home injuries may not always be taken seriously. Their complaints may be dismissed as dementia or paranoia. Relatives might dislike visiting older folks in assisted living or nursing homes, and visits to the facility may be few and far between. Moreover, cost can be a factor; families may not have many options for care in their price range, and they might hope for the best without looking too closely at the facility. For these reasons, elderly patients often suffer abuse, neglect, and medical errors that not detected.
Recently, 2,000 people living in nursing homes were questioned about their living conditions in order to determine whether they were being purposely injured or improperly ignored. A whopping ninety-five percent responded that they had been neglected or had witnessed neglect in other residents. Furthermore, 44 percent of the nursing home residents in the study told the researchers that they had suffered abuse in the facility.
People who suspect that their loved ones have suffered a nursing home injury due to poor care may want to investigate further. Residents should not have unexplained bumps or bruises. Difficult patients may not be tied down or restrained unless it is an emergency, and no patients can be given sedating medicines unless required for a valid medical condition. People who suspect that elderly family members have been harmed by medical staff at a nursing facility may wish to discuss the matter with experienced legal counsel to learn of all possible remedies to protect their parents, friends, or relatives.
Source: Source: Medical Daily, “Senior Care: 5 Tips To Protect Mom And Dad From Nursing Home Fraud,” Lizette Borreli, May 15, 2013