The nursing home you select for your loved one should be a place you can feel comfortable with. However, nursing homes have a long history of not being able to satisfy the needs of residents, along with a list of other troubles. Sometimes it’s impossible to avoid placing a loved one in a nursing home, though, so you have to do some due diligence to ensure you find the best one for them. A bedsore attorney in Manhattan, NY can provide you with plenty of warning signs to look out for. We’ve described some of the most common nursing home care concerns to identify before the issues become problematic.
Insufficient Staffing
It’s no secret most nursing homes across the country are understaffed. When this happens, nursing homes might hire people who aren’t qualified for the job, which leads to mistakes. Medication could be mismanaged, improper care could be provided, along with plenty of other mistakes. Or if the nursing home doesn’t have the budget to hire anyone else, you might just have to deal with less care since the current staffing isn’t sufficient enough to care for everyone. This can lead to bedsores, poor hygiene, dehydration, malnutrition, injuries, illness, and more. If a nursing home you’re considering doesn’t have sufficient staffing, look for another one or at least ask a bedsore attorney in Suffolk County what to do if you notice signs of improper care due to staffing issues.
Lack Of Emergency Planning
Every nursing home should have an emergency plan, but many of them don’t. An emergency can strike at any moment unexpectedly, whether it’s a natural disaster or a public health concern like the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, nursing homes don’t have a thorough enough emergency plan to keep their residents safe and healthy when an emergency strikes. This could lead to serious illness and even death depending on the circumstances. It’s important to ask the nursing home what types of emergency plans and protocols they have in place so you can have peace of mind.
Inability To Prevent And Control Diseases
Every bedsore lawyer will tell you there are numerous reasons why patients could get sick in nursing homes. Insufficient staffing is one because there aren’t enough staff members to care for ill residents. Many nursing homes often don’t offer sick pay to staff members, so they come to work sick so they can continue receiving a paycheck. And some employees might even work at multiple locations, which increases the chances of spreading diseases. When nursing homes are investigated by a bedsore attorney in Manhattan, NY, it’s often discovered that they don’t follow proper handwashing techniques, don’t disinfect equipment enough, don’t clean linens appropriately, and more. All of which leads to the spread of diseases.
Negligence And Lack Of Accountability
Nursing home staff members are often negligent in how they care for residents. And they continue being negligent because no one holds them accountable until something goes seriously wrong. This leads to plenty of daily issues that sometimes never get discovered, but residents have to suffer from them. Nursing homes should be transparent when it comes to discussing health concerns with families. And they should also be able to answer questions quickly when anyone asks them about how their loved one has been doing under their care. However, as a bedsore attorney in Suffolk County might tell you, this doesn’t always happen.
Warning Signs To Look For In Nursing Homes
When you’re searching for a nursing home to place your loved one in, be sure to observe everything that goes on around you. Look at the demeanor of the staff members as they walk by. Try talking to them nicely and see what their response is. A sure warning sign is if staff members don’t appear to be happy or avoid conversations with you. Also, if staff members seem to be moving around frantically, it could be a sign they are understaffed and not able to provide the best care for your loved one. Don’t overlook anything that might seem suspicious to you.
Have A Bedsore Lawyer On Standby If You Are Suspicious
Having a trusted bedsore attorney in Manhattan, NY available can give you peace of mind knowing you have someone on your side if things go wrong in a nursing home. Many staff members are organized in their efforts to cover up issues and they don’t get uncovered until a bedsore lawyer gets involved. Never ignore any warning signs and if the staff members refuse to talk to you about them, then it’s valuable to relay this information to your bedsore lawyer to keep track of the situation.
Sinel & Olesen, PLLC is experienced in identifying nursing home issues the average person might overlook. Many nursing homes operate similarly and sometimes their poor practices can be covered up easily because they participate in them so often. The best thing you can do is always be aware of what is happening at the nursing home and take action immediately if something doesn’t seem right. We are available to get involved when you need us, so contact us at any time to schedule a free case evaluation and learn how we can protect you and your loved one.
