Nursing home residents often require frequent care, and it is up to the staff members to ensure that they get it. When these workers slack off on their duties, residents are the ones who suffer. It is imperative that everyone in the facility receive the care they need.There are many things that can go wrong when proper care is lacking. The type of maltreatment they are receiving determines the impacts. No matter what’s going on, nursing home negligence shouldn’t be allowed to continue. Taking steps to stop this atrocious behavior is critical.
Staffing issues
Nursing homes sometimes cite employment issues as a reason for negligent behavior. This is unacceptable because the residents are paying for quality care. Some skilled nursing facilities might try to only schedule the bare minimum number of nurses and support staff on each shift.
This means that if someone calls off of work or something else happens, there aren’t enough people to make up the deficit. It also means that if a resident requires more than normal care, others can suffer. Having proper staffing and ensuring that all employees go through proper training can help to prevent these issues.
Problems with sanitation
The employees of the facility must help the residents with proper sanitation. This includes their personal hygiene needs, as well as the upkeep of the facility. These work hand-in-hand to make sure that residents can remain safe and healthy. Visitors to the facility might notice things like grime on the floor, improperly dressed residents or unclean common areas. These are all signs that something is amiss and should be looked into swiftly.
Nutrition and hydration
It is often difficult to monitor the intake and output of these residents because they usually come and go as they please. Watching for signs that the residents aren’t eating or drinking enough is important. This might be that their eyes begin to look sunken in or that they are obviously looking thinner than before. Some facilities have programs to help patients ensure that they are eating and drinking enough, so workers should encourage them to join those programs.
Other problems
Some nursing home residents suffer from mobility issues. Unfortunately, they often don’t get the help they need with simple tasks. Something as seemingly small as going to use the restroom might pose a challenge when there isn’t a worker to help them out.
Another issue is that some workers might belittle the residents. Emotional abuse is a serious problem that doesn’t have any place in the nursing home. These individuals should be treated with respect all the time.
Putting an end to all of these negligence issues can be complicated. You might need to make a report to the facility, and legal action may be necessary in some instances.