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Nursing
Home Abuse
Nearly two million Americans live in 17,000 nursing homes
across the nation. A disturbing fact is that a recent governmental
report revealed that a large number of nursing homes are providing
residents with substandard care and that the incidence of
nursing home abuse has increased dramatically over the past
few years.
America’s
rapidly aging population has resulted in a tremendous demand
and need for nursing home and residential care facilities.
Unfortunately, studies confirm that a growing number of elders
living in nursing homes are being physically, emotionally
and financially abused.
Nursing
home abuse and neglect is often the result of understaffing,
poor employee screening and selection procedures, poor employee
training, and inadequate resident and staff monitoring. These
problems are often the result of nursing home budgetary decisions
or attempts to maximize profits.
The
most common types of neglect and abuse are malnutrition, dehydration,
pressure sores, infections, falls, burns, and assaults. These
injuries are most often a result of understaffing, poor training,
and general unhappiness of the nursing homes employees.
According
to a recent report by the United States General Accounting
Office made before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging,
only 30 of California's 1,370 nursing homes passed state inspections
in the past three years with minimal or no problems and 407
were cited for care that "caused death or serious harm."
The report also found that many California nursing homes temporarily
increased staff and often falsified records to fool inspectors.
The
situation in the California is not unusual. Nursing homes
are cited for violations of state and federal law on a daily
basis, and you and your loved ones may be the victims of this
widespread neglect and abuse. An aging population, health
care crisis, and bankruptcies of most major nursing home chains
are current indications that the neglect and abuse will not
only continue, but will most likely increase.
Nursing
Homes Must Provide High Standard of Care
Nursing homes who receive federal funds are also required
to comply with numerous federal laws and regulations. The
federal Nursing Home Reform Act requires nursing homes to
maintain a very high standard of care - under the federal
law, nursing homes "must provide services and activities
to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental,
and psychosocial well-being of each resident in accordance
with a written plan of care.”
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