There is a shortage of trained, qualified nursing home staff in the United States. There are federal staffing requirements for nursing homes that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding, requirements of which are rarely met. Here in Mississippi, I frequently see the tragic effects of this understaffing—neglect, medication errors, injuries, poor hygiene, falls, and more. No one should spend the end of their life suffering these indignities, and if you have discovered that a loved one has, you should speak to a personal injury attorney immediately.
If you fear that an elderly loved one is being neglected, you must contact an attorney experienced in representing families in nursing home negligence situations immediately. Your loved one’s health, finances, and well-being are at stake. Barrett Law has the experience to help you during this difficult time. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
How Understaffing Affects the Elderly
Federally, the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendations are that nursing home residents spend two hours each day with a nursing aide and twelve minutes each day with a registered nurse. In my experience, many nursing homes fail to meet this standard. In understaffed nursing homes, residents’ needs go unnoticed because staff do not have sufficient time with each resident to identify them. At a minimum, this lack of attention can lead to emotional and intellectual decline. At worst, it can lead to life-ending neglect. That is a wide spectrum, so I listed various ill-effects below:
Problems Commonly Caused by Understaffed Nursing Homes
Medication Errors—short-staffed nursing homes have to ask more from their staff. That means staff must work without breaks and distribute a tremendous number of medications daily to residents they barely know, a recipe for mistakes. If an elderly person receives the wrong medication, it can be life-threatening.
Dehydration—nursing home residents are often unable to get themselves a drink and are dependent on staff for hydration. But because residents are not moving vigorously or sweating, attention to hydration can be lacking, leading to serious health consequences and even death.
Malnutrition—like hydration, nursing home residents are often unable to feed themselves. Even if they are given adequate food, careful monitoring must occur to assure that they are consuming enough food to maintain their health. Over time, inadequate food intake can have serious, negative health consequences.
Problems Related to Immobility—if nursing home residents are incapable of standing or moving easily, they often spend a lot of time either in bed or sitting. Prolonged periods sitting or lying in bed can lead to life-threatening bed sores, infections, and muscle atrophy.
Falls—low staffing means that nursing home residents have to do more for themselves, without help. The more often residents try to walk or move in instances when they require assistance, the more likely they are to have a fall. Given some residents’ fragility, these falls can be traumatic and life-ending.
Poor Hygiene—like many other aspects of life, the elderly often rely on nursing home staff for basic hygiene. Understaffed nursing homes are less able to provide the sort of personalized attention that residents require, sometimes resulting in serious infections, soiled clothing, dirty bedding, and other basic hygiene deficiencies that threaten residents’ health and sense of self-worth.
What Should You Do If You Believe Your Loved One is Being Neglected?
If you believe a loved one is being subjected to neglect in his or her nursing home, contact experienced personal injury counsel immediately. Collecting evidence of the abuse, seeking expert medical opinions, and getting answers from the nursing home are essential tasks that a personal injury attorney can handle for you while you concentrate on making sure your parent or relative is safe, happy, and healthy.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if your loved one has experienced negligent care at his or her nursing home. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
