Knowing the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
29408
Health & Fitness
Jun 20, 2007
johnsonlawgroup
Knowing the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse is a terrible problem that is striking our country and leaving many of our sickest and neediest citizens helpless and in pain. Nursing homes are becoming more and more understaffed in the quest for a good profit margin, and the elderly residents of these nursing homes are the people who are suffering because of it. This danger is one that is heartbreakingly common, and one that should not be overlooked by families when looking into long term care facilities for their aging relatives. It might seem insane to think that the very people who go to school for years in order to learn how to care for other people might be the very ones who are neglecting them, but nurse burnout is a terrible truth because of the way that our nurses are often treated themselves. Nurses are constantly overworked with far more patients than they have the time or ability to care for and told to do their best. They are additionally dealing with patients who might be less than coherent and less than present mentally due to strokes or other medical conditions. This can lead to nurses having to deal with call buttons pressed constantly and adults who need to be cared for like infants. When constantly overworked nurses and mediocre pay are combined with some of the neediest people in our society, things can get ugly. Nurses become exhausted and burn out, and many quit or go into different lines of work within a couple of years. Many other nurses become angry or frustrated enough to neglect or even outright abuse elderly patients in their care, especially when these patients cannot talk back or stand up for themselves anymore. The best way to protect your loved ones when they are put into long term care facilities is to be there for them in every way. Be physically present for visits as often as possible to help the nurses see your relative as a person, and not as just another job, and to keep them happier and more comfortable. While you are at the nursing home, talk to your elderly relatives if they are still capable, and find out if there have been any problems for them. You should know immediately if a call button is broken or if it took too long for your old mother to get a glass of water. You might be tempted to dismiss their complaints as exaggeration, however your relative might also have been neglected while you were away. It is always better to be safe and check in with the nursing staff to make sure that your relative's needs are being met. Some of the other signs of nursing home abuse include mysterious injuries like bruises or broken bones. If a patient is having a hard time getting the attention or care that they deserve, they may become worked up enough to try to move from their bed to help themselves, sometimes resulting in falls and injuries. In other cases, they may be subjected to other forms of abuse such as being strapped into their beds or actually being physically beaten by staff members. Do not assume abuse at the first sign of injury, but listen carefully to how it was supposed to have happened and watch for further injuries to your elderly relatives. Dehydration is another thing to watch out for when it comes to nursing home abuse. Your relative's eyes should be moist, they should urinate regularly, and they should be able to produce spit. If they are being denied water, they could take a quick turn for the worse and pass away very quickly, so this is an important thing to watch out for, as is the parallel problem of malnutrition. Bed sores also could be a sign that your relative is not being treated properly. If they are not being helped to turn over, they could develop painful sores that could even potentially become infected. Also watch for your relative's behavior around the nurses. If they flinch away or act fearful around the nursing staff, it might be time to consider a new facility. Elder abuse and nursing home abuse in particular is quite dangerous and a very sad reality of our society. Being present in the lives of our elderly relatives and paying careful attention to their behavior can help us to keep them out of bad situations and keep them safe and as comfortable as possible.
Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Nursing Home Abuse, Nursing Home Neglect and Negligence. Visit http://www.topnursinghomelawyers.com or call 1-888-311-5522
send email to johnsonlawgroup
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
Many people who are diagnosed with Mesothelioma have no idea what it is and have never heard of it before.
Category:
Choosing the correct lawyer to defend your case, no matter what it may be, is an important part of any legal process. Mesothelioma lawyers are no different, and many would argue that choosing a mesothelioma lawyer is more important than many other cases.
Category:
Offshore oil rig injury cases are unique to the injured individual and the company which they work for.
Category:
A Mesothelioma diagnosis is never something that you want to get. If you know anything about Mesothelioma at all, you know that it is a highly deadly form of lung cancer, mostly caused by Asbestos.
Category:
Offshore oil rig injury lawyers have seen some amazing survival stories.
Category:
Houston has long been considered one of the most cosmopolitan of cities, but according to Money Magazine and CNN Money (among others) the best place to live in the Houston metro area is the small city of Sugar Land.
Category:
Starting in the mid-1990s, sport utility vehicles, known colloquially as SUVs, began to receive a lot of attention when accidents became prevalent due to poor body design, faulty tires, and excessive speed.
Category:
Mesothelioma is a disease that affects those people who have come into close or prolonged contact with asbestos.
Category:
Sugar Land is a city in Fort Bend County, Texas. The county boasts the most master planned communities within the entire country of the United States and Sugar Land has many golf course and master planned communities within its borders as well.
Category:
When rescue workers went into New Orleans, Louisiana after the hurricanes to clean up the city and save what property they could, they were not just facing the dangers of the swampy waters and debris, they were also facing the danger of exposure to asbest
Category:
Nursing home abuse and neglect are widespread problem that attacks the very people we are trying most to protect: our senior citizens.
Category:
Screech! You've had an accident and have either been injured as a result, or someone involved in the accident has been killed.
Category:
Hearing news from a doctor that you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma is never good.
Category:
Commercial development in Houston is continuing to grow and become a larger part of the Houston economy every year.
Category:
Mesothelioma is a heartbreaking condition caused by exposure to asbestos.
Category:
Texas is a large state with many wonderful places to make a home, but if you want to enjoy a resort-style world while still being fairly close to a major city, you should start your home search in Galveston County.
Category:
Many of the amenities that are expected by today's active adults are the same amenities that contribute to a quality of life for families of all ages.
Category:
Despite the extensive safety classes offered for both commercial and pleasure sea going individuals, an injury at sea can happen at any time, and can be very terrifying.
Category:
Nursing home abuse is a terrible problem that is striking our country and leaving many of our sickest and neediest citizens helpless and in pain.
Category:
Other links at Health & Fitness
In this article, we will be looking at yeast infections, their symptoms and how to treat them. There are different types of yeast infections with varying symptoms and severity. There are also various treatments available.
Category:
We've all been there, at least in some form that complex and mystifying land of too many beverage choices and their accoutrements. While office jokes of the five-minute coffee order ("I'd like a double half-caff, three-fourths-skinny, dry mocha Rocha haze
Category:
Find out what remedies you can use to treat your sinus allergy naturally. Some of these are readily available from your kitchen!
Category:
Autism is on the increase and all these autistic children will grow up into autistic adults. They'll all have to leave school eventually so where will they go and what will they do?
Category:
If you have high blood pressure, you will have to take action to treat it. If ignored, hypertension can lead to very serious health problems including stroke, heart disease and kidney failure. So what treatments are the most effective?
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68309
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
