Let's take a look at the top 6 complaints about nursing homes and examine some of the reasons why there may be a problem. Regardless of these flexibilities and dietary requirements, poor quality food remains a major complaint from nursing homes. It's too difficult to prepare a lot of varied meals for so many people, especially to appease the taste buds of people who come from a generation used to home-cooked meals. With increasing pressure on facility staff facing employee shortages, caregivers don't have time to prolong interactions with residents.
Family members often can't visit them as much as they'd like, lifelong friends are gone or are out of reach and are surrounded by strangers in a home that isn't their own. The result is a sense of social isolation among residents. Another major complaint about nursing homes is lack of sleep. Interruptions between staff and residents are all too common.
Because care is provided around the clock, staff may need to monitor patients or administer medications at inconvenient times. Noise from other residents' rooms or from the hallway while nurses talk is also common. Your family member may not know or be unable to report the most serious problems related to quality of care. Many common examples are evident, such as decubitus ulcers, neglect of personal hygiene, weight loss and lack of attention to illness or obvious deterioration.
If your family member is under physical restraints or seems to be overmedicated, these are also alarming signs. Nursing homes try to provide different areas in the facility for residents to move around. Still, it's likely that your older parents are transitioning their home to smaller homes than they're used to. It was not uncommon for me, as a social worker, to be called in to help with certain elements of direct care when the staff was particularly small.
Forward-thinking nursing homes and specialty care facilities understand that they are not only healthcare providers, but also customer-service-oriented operations. Maybe if these nursing homes paid a decent salary for the difficult work that is expected, there would be more people willing to accept these jobs. Staff training and retraining are an important part of risk management, as is nursing home insurance. Nursing home residents and their families are generally happy with the care they receive, but not all.
When nursing homes commit abuse or neglect, older people are entitled to compensation for their physical pain, emotional suffering, the harm they have suffered, any medical expenses related to treatment, and other applicable damages. While nursing homes strive to offer age-appropriate activities, they may not be the ones your parents have done before or that they like. Caitlin Morgan specializes in insuring assisted living facilities and nursing homes and can help you provide insurance and risk management services for this niche market. Agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) rely on “each state's survey agency” to respond to health and safety concerns raised by residents, their families, and nursing home staff.
You and your family may need to consider whether your loved one should be in a nursing home or if he or she is better suited to receiving care at home. Finding a nursing care facility that prioritizes friendships with other residents and opportunities for social activity is crucial. If a parent, sibling, or loved one is hurting, knowledgeable nursing home attorneys understand the rights of seniors. If an elderly person seems to be suffering too much in a nursing home, family members should act immediately, of course.
Nursing home insurance is part of a facility's risk management plan, but it's critical that healthcare facilities recognize and respond to common complaints to minimize liability issues. Nursing homes generally offer social activities that your parents can participate in, both inside and outside of care facilities. .
