We are all faced with the decision at some point in our life whether to put a loved one in a nursing home or assisted care facility. It is a heart wrenching decision and one that often finds relatives at odds with each other. The idea of putting someone you love and cherish in the hands of strangers is not a pleasant thought. To make matters worse, the loved one in question may be suffering from mental deterioration and unable to communicate well. For many, there is simply no other choice but to put your loved one in a nursing home or similar facility. Once that decision has been made, it is crucial that you are vigilant about checking on the care they are receiving. Sadly, elder abuse is far more prevalent in America than most people realize.
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, between one and two million Americans over the age of 65 have been injured, exploited or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care of protection. It remains very difficult to accurately report statistics on elder abuse for a number of reasons. First, the vast majority of elder abuse is never reported. The elderly are arguably the most vulnerable segment of society. Many are unable to report abuse due to mental or physical constraints. Many are too ashamed to report abuse or neglect.
Furthermore, many elders do not have anyone to look out for them in the event they cannot speak out for themselves. Second, while new advocacy programs are popping up everywhere, there is no uniform reporting system for elderly abuse. Lastly, couple the lack of a uniform system with the widely varying definition of elderly abuse and you can see why statistics are hard to come by. Having said all that, even the most conservative statistics indicate that over 30% of nursing home or long term care facility residents have been the victim of some form of abuse. The most common complaint is physical abuse. Shockingly, many staff members of these facilities admit to having committed acts of abuse while at work!
So what can you do to help prevent you loved from being the victim of abuse? First, do your homework before you decide where to send your loved one. All states are required to regulate nursing homes. This means that the results of inspections as well as complaints filed against a facility are all public record. Second, make a series of visits to the facility before you make a decision. Try to speak to some of the staff as well as some of the residents. After your decision has been made, continue to stop by as often as possible. Take note of staff changes. Frequent changes in staff can be an indicator that abuse is present. Additionally, pay attention to changes in personality of your loved one. Even if they are unable to communicate coherently, a change in personality is often a sign of abuse. Lastly, be aware of any physical signs of neglect, such as bed sores, dehydration or weight loss.
If you feel that your loved one has been the victim of elder abuse, seek the advice of an attorney immediately. For more information, contact the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit us at www.ledgerlaw.com.
