How Inadequate Staffing May Lead To Florida Nursing Home Abuse

Although South Florida families take their time selecting just the right nursing home for their loved one, even the best of intentions can go awry. Depending on the physical and mental state of a resident, symptoms of abuse often go unnoticed by family.

Not only is nursing home abuse frequently unnoticed, its severity is often diminished. Following surmounting complaints and reports made to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they determined that primary abusers were nursing home aides and orderlies. More interestingly though is that the study revealed that while the majority of state agencies perceive nursing home abuse as a serious growing problem, the nursing home administrators and staff consider abuse and neglect only a minor problem.

What does inadequate staffing within a nursing home look like from the outside?

Nursing homes likely down-play the severity of abuse because they have not been properly staffed and trained. Inadequate staffing means that the nursing home staff employee has too many residents, which causes them to be overwhelmed and prone to abuse.

Many Broward County nursing homes find that there is a shortage of qualified, registered, and licensed nurses available to offer employment. Families may notice that nursing homes run especially short on staff during evenings and weekends. Since there is a labor shortage, nursing homes tend to rely upon temporary staffing, which is a key contributor to abuse because the staff has not established a consistent relationship with the resident.

If you have a loved one that resides in a Florida nursing home that is understaffed, contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld for a free legal consultation to determine if you have a case. To successfully pursue defending your loved one’s rights, you will need a qualified Florida Nursing Home Abuse Attorney. Call 954-677-0155.