Florida Nursing Homes Have Inadequate Staffing
Broward County nursing home residents are easy targets for abuse.
CBS News recently reported that “Many patients are at risk because one out of four nursing homes every year is cited for causing death or serious injury to a resident, according to government figures.”
Forms of Nursing Home Abuse:
- Physical (hitting, slapping, shaking)
- Sexual (non-consensual sexual contact)
- Emotional (verbal assaults, humiliation, threats)
- Exploitation (personal property abuse)
- Neglect (inadequate staffing, poor care, physical and medical neglect)
Most nursing homes are either funded by limited federal resources or privately funded for considerable profit. Hence, the facilities are typically understaffed and under qualified. Below is a list of symptoms of nursing home abuse, which is caused by inadequate staffing.
Nursing Home Abuse Caused by Inadequate Staffing: Common Symptoms
- Isolation/Confusion
- Pressure sores/Renal failure
- Weight loss/Dehydration
- Over-medicated/Over-sedation
- Use of psychotic meds
While some consider neglect to be one of the lesser forms of elder abuse, its consequences are often the most life-threatening. When people hear of nursing home patients being mistreated, it’s difficult to understand why anyone would want to abuse the elderly. This article will attempt to answer that question in more detail.
The National Center on Elder Abuse found the following results from their study on Nursing Home Abuse. While they were unable to identify the exact cause of nursing abuse, the project uncovered risk factors within the facility that make abuse more likely.
Risk Factors for Nursing Home Abuse
-
No Abuse Prevention Policy: A nursing home is at risk if they do not have a policy for staff to prevent abuse, understand abuse, recognize abuse, know how to report abuse, and be assured they will not be punished for reporting abuse.
-
Limited Staff Education and Training: Staff needs to be trained how to respond to dealing with physically combative residents. Patients with dementia are more likely to be abused.
-
Inadequate Staff Screening: Staff must show care, know how to react in abusive situations, handle anger and stress, and have no history of alcohol or drug abuse.
-
High Staff Stress and Burnout: When nursing homes are understaffed, they put their facility at risk for abusing patients because the staff is overworked and overtired.
-
Low Staff Ratio and High Turnover: If the nursing home caregiver has too many residents to take care of, or if there is a high turnover of caregivers, then they are at risk for abusing their patients.
Get Help!
Take a stand against your loved one becoming the next victim of nursing home abuse. You can’t rely on an elderly patient being aware of inadequate staffing and neglect caused by their nursing home caregivers. If you suspect that a loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse, immediate legal assistance is necessary! Florida nursing home abuse lawyer David Benenfeld, is dedicated to helping victims of abuse. For or a free legal consultation and call today: 954-677-0155.
