Heritage Health Elgin

While you can’t be there in person every moment to protect a loved one entering assisted living, you can still take measures to reduce the risk of abuse by picking a highly rated nursing home with a proven record of quality, responsible care. While isolated incidents of abuse can technically occur anywhere, low-rated nursing homes are more likely to foster environments that enable and mishandle abuse. The best protection you can offer a vulnerable nursing home resident is picking a home for them that prioritizes safety.

This is best done with extensive research. Ask friends, doctors, or social workers for recommendations of top assisted living facilities in your area and investigate each one. You can find information like Medicare ratings, reviews, and news reports for nursing homes online. Most nursing homes will also have their own websites with important information, but they will always market themselves positively so be aware of exaggerated or misleading claims and rely on more unbiased resources to inform your research.

Based on your research, identify your top choices and schedule tours at each location so you can see for yourself what they’re like in person. You should observe the cleanliness of the facility, friendliness of staff, and the atmosphere in general.

This is also a great opportunity to ask questions about staff qualifications and background checks, the ratio of staff to residents, and protocol for reporting and addressing abuse. Don’t hesitate to stop in again or call at a later date to ask more questions if you have them.

All of your research and visits should help you pick a facility you and your loved one feel confident in. However, your work isn’t done. After they move in, stay in close contact with your friend or relative to monitor their care and advocate for them if they should need it. Residents who are isolated from loved ones are more likely to be victimized, so your regular visits can help protect them.

Your loved one may also need your help in recognizing or reporting any mistreatment. Many nursing home residents are unable to do this themselves. You can help them by learning common signs of abuse to watch out for, such as

• 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

In the event that you become aware of any abuse or neglect, document the experience and report it to management immediately. The facility administrators should be willing to hear you out and act to investigate and prevent further abuse.

However, sometimes ineffective management is at the root of an abuse problem, and the administrators may fail in their duties to appropriately address and fix an abusive situation. If you find a nursing home unwilling to protect a resident from further harm, it’s best to seek legal advice at that point.