Heritage Health Chillicothe

You can’t be with a loved one every moment that they’re in assisted living, but there are things you can do to reduce the risk of them coming to harm in their nursing home. This begins with picking the right facility. While abuse can be an isolated incident, most commonly it happens at facilities with multiple issues. It’s your job to weed out the bad nursing homes and find one with excellent service and ratings.

Start by doing thorough research into the nursing homes in your area. You can ask friends and acquaintances, doctors, or social workers for recommendations. Look up prospective facilities online where you can see ratings on medicare.org, reviews, and news stories about each one. Remember, every facility will market itself as the best nursing home, so take what they say on company websites with a grain of salt.

After comparing ratings and reviews, schedule tours of the best-rated facilities so you can see what they offer for yourself. Pay attention to the general atmosphere and environment, and ask probing questions about staff training, ratios of staff to residents, and how they handle complaints and reports of abuse. There’s a lot to consider when picking a nursing home, but safety should be one of your top priorities.

Once you’ve picked the best nursing home possible and your family member is moved in, your work isn’t done. Residents who are isolated from family and friends are most likely to suffer abuse. Many are not even capable of recognizing or reporting abuse or will not because they fear retaliation. They need you to be active in their lives so they have outside support and an advocate. Visit or communicate as frequently as possible so you can see for yourself how they are being cared for.

You should learn the signs of nursing home abuse so you can recognize anything that seems off with your relative. There are many signs to look for, but some of the most common are

• Untreated severe bedsores
• Unexplained injuries like bruises, burns, or scars
• Evidence of poor circulation like sunken cheeks or eyes
• Weight loss or malnourishment not due directly to an illness
• Frequent trips to the emergency room or doctor
• Wrong type or the wrong amount of medication administered
• Poor hygiene or unwashed clothes or hair
• Instances of wandering or elopement
• Frequently misplaced or lost personal items
• A lack of basic necessities, including utilities, water, and food
• A dirty room or bathroom
• Frequent trouble sleeping
• Unusual violent or withdrawn behavior
• Sudden depression or confusion
• Signs of trauma like rocking back and forth

If your loved one ever complains of abuse or you observe something that seems off, report it immediately. Document what you or your relative have experienced to keep the details straight, and go to the facility administrators. They should respectfully hear you out and take immediate action to investigate and prevent further incidents.

Unfortunately, sometimes abuse occurs in a facility because management is ineffective, and they may be dismissive of abuse claims or unwilling to take appropriate action. This endangers both your loved one and other residents. If nursing home management are ever evasive about or outright refuse to look into abuse claims, you should seek legal advice.