According to the Kansas City Legal Examiner, abuse and neglect in nursing homes is often attributed to inadequate staffing. Neglect occurs when the caregivers in question do not provide adequately for residents, whether this means malnutrition, poor hygiene, or lack of care (that can result in health issues such as bed sores).
Even though many national, state and local laws exist to protect those living in assisted living facilities, issues persist, especially in nursing homes that are understaffed or that employ staff with inadequate training. Research into this issue indicates that over 50% of nursing homes do not keep the minimum recommended staffing levels, despite the high level of care often needed by these particular patients.
Changes Need to be Made for the Safety of Seniors
It may surprise you that only seven states currently require nursing homes to have 24-hour RN coverage, even though good RN staffing levels have been shown in studies to correlate with positive health effects.
There?s a few changes that could be made to improve the level of care those living in senior housing locations receive. For one, nursing homes need to start paying nurses? aides fair wages, and investing in training for their staff. They are often underpaid even though they complete the most work (and are often unfairly burdened with too many patients). This means a high turnover rate in an industry where a consistent caregiver can be useful in identifying health problems as they arise.
Don’t Worry About Just the Cost of Assisted Living Facilities
For their own part, families also need to be more diligent about where they place elderly residents. There are numerous public records available that can highlight whether a facility is a good fit for an aunt, father, grandparent, et cetera. Although many families may want to make the cost of assisted living facilities their main concern, too low a cost can sometimes indicate serious problems at a facility. In some cases, government assistance may be available to help defray some of these high costs.
About 70% of Americans over the age of 65 are going to need longterm care; this is inarguable. Making sure that their care is quality and helps them to live a long and healthy life is more important than ever. Always do your research on a senior housing option before moving your loved ones in!
