If an individual is disabled or elderly and cannot care for themselves, they, along with their family, may have to make the difficult decision to relocate to a nursing home or extended care facility. Residents and their families generally expect to receive a high level of care and support at these facilities. They reasonably assume …
The emotional abuse of someone in a nursing home or under the care of a caretaker can take many forms. Emotional abuse does not leave the same bodily signs as physical or sexual abuse, but its effects can be just as detrimental to someone’s overall health. The discrepancy in power between nursing home residents and …
Your body wants to protect you from infections as best as it can. If a wound grows too large or lasts for too long, your body can turn against you. Sepsis affects parties in all demographics, but it commonly impacts elderly nursing home residents, according to a news report by Kaiser Health News and the …
As we get older, the loss of muscle mass and strength are a natural part of the aging process. All muscles in the body become weaker, including the ones we use for chewing and swallowing food. Difficulty swallowing food is the number one cause of choking deaths in nursing homes. According to Injury Facts 2017, …
According to MedlinePlus, septic shock results when an infection that has spread through the whole body lowers your blood pressure to a dangerous level. Sepsis and septic shock are both largely preventable illnesses. If your loved one suffered from septic shock in a nursing home, it might be because of neglect or abuse from nursing …
According to a study in Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America, intimidation in nursing homes is a type of elder abuse. If a nursing home staff member is intimidating your senior loved one, it might be seriously detrimental to their care and mental health. It can also indicate more severe problems …
Financial exploitation of the elderly may be the most common form of elder abuse, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Financial exploitation, also called financial abuse, is the fraudulent, illegal, improper, or unauthorized use of an individual’s assets, such as money, benefits, or property, for personal financial gain. According to Elder Mistreatment: …
You might not think your senior loved one could become addicted to medication, illegal drugs, or alcohol while living in a nursing home. Unfortunately, substance abuse in nursing homes is a real possibility that hurts seniors and their families. Even misusing prescription drugs can result in several health issues such as heart attacks, kidney and …
When you decide to place your elderly loved one in the care of a nursing home, you trust that the facility’s staff will care for them and treat them with respect. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. According to the National Research Council’s report on elder mistreatment, 2.5 million people in nursing homes and …
Sepsis is a serious medical condition that can be caused by any type of bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. Sepsis is triggered by the body’s response to an infection. When your body is fighting an infection, it normally releases chemicals into the bloodstream. Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to these chemicals is out of …
Patients in nursing homes are often entirely dependent on care staff to maintain their health and provide for their needs, even simple needs like drinking enough water. One common result of the failure to receive proper care in a nursing home is dehydration, and severe dehydration can lead to death. The National Center on Elder …
An unclean premise does not only create a problem with appearance but also leads to poor hygiene. Nursing homes have an obligation to meet their residents’ basic needs and maintain sanitary premises for their safety. According to Aging Health, infections in nursing homes can lead to elderly residents experiencing medical complications, sometimes so severe that …
We all want the best for our loved ones, so when we choose a nursing home, we want to know that our parent, spouse, or other family members will receive the highest degree of care. There are about 15,600 licensed nursing homes in the United States, so how can you be sure you have selected …
When the time comes for your loved ones to receive a higher level of care than what you can provide, a skilled nursing facility could become their second home. Also known as a nursing home, this type of facility allows a resident to enjoy various activities that enrich their quality of life while offering round-the-clock …
Elderly residents of nursing homes, especially those who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, can become confused from time to time. They may forget where they are in the moment and begin to leave the premises, looking for familiar surroundings. They may become disoriented and forget their original reason for leaving their room, such as …
Almost 90 percent of older adults take at least one prescription drug, nearly 80 percent take at least two, and over one-third regularly take five or more. These numbers do not include supplements and over-the-counter drugs, which they may take as needed with their prescribed medications. With an average nursing home maximum occupancy of 107 …
Wandering and elopement are common in nursing home settings—mostly among residents with cognitive disorders. However, if your loved one attempted to escape their nursing home, it might indicate a deeper issue with how the nursing home treats its residents. When a nursing home resident wanders around the facility, they could run into hazards, and the …
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that trauma victims sometimes suffer. PTSD in nursing homes has become more prevalent as more trauma survivors reach the age of requiring long-term care. Symptoms of PTSD, according to the Mayo Clinic, include: Anxiety Avoidance Flashbacks to the traumatic event Nightmares Aggressive or self-destructive behavior Suicidal …
Medication errors are frequent in nursing home settings. A study published in the journal Clinical Management of the Older Adult reports that as many as 16 to 31 percent of nursing home residents experience medication errors. The most common medication error in nursing homes is incorrect dosage, when residents receive less medication than prescribed, more …
We all like to think that when we leave our loved ones in the care of trained staff at a nursing home, they will be well provided for. Unfortunately, elder abuse is a growing problem in the 15,000+ nursing homes operating throughout the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that around one in …
