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Last Post 22 days, 22 hours Ago


Elderly Abuse in Nursing Homes
Jun 18, 2008 | 4:23 PM
Category: News
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GITRDONE wrote a post about the horrible conditions she'd witnessed in a nursing home and it made me feel simultaneously furious and helpless.  Who wouldn't get upset when reading about abuses that happen to Senior Citizens?  Can you imagine someone you care about--an friend, your grandma, father, uncle, mom--in a nursing home, being physically or mentally abused?  I hate thinking about it.

But apparently it's all too common.  According to a survey taken over a two-year period, one out of every three nursing homes has issues with abuse.  There are around 1.6 million residents living in nursing homes, with about 34% being abused.  That's around 550,000 people.  That's more than the population of Wyoming.

Okay, so why do I feel helpless?  Because these people are getting away with it.  The nurses and caregivers that work in these nursing homes are protected by unions.  The residents are experiencing "untreated bedsores, inadequate medical care, malnutrition, dehydration, preventable accidents, and inadequate sanitation and hygiene"* and the people responsible for them aren't getting punished or reprimanded for it? 

There has to be something.  I mentioned having Fox 6 investigators do something on it, but can't unions ban the use of video cameras?  In which case, even if something was caught on tape, the judge or courts wouldn't be able to use the tape as evidence.

So what's the solution?  Anyone?  This is a huge problem.  Someday many of us will wind up in a nursing home or assisted living center.  We all know someone who is living somewhere like that now.  This isn't something we can just turn our backs on and ignore.  If we do, and the statistics are correct, 1 out of every 3 of us will be abused one day.  This can't keep happening.  There has to be something we can do.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_b
y_population

*http://abcnews.go.com/us/Story?id=92689&page=2

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Member Comments Total Comments: 6
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Katbird read my blog view my photos
Jun 18, 2008 | 8:22 PM

I wonder if I could start volunteering at a nursing home and saying I just want to help out and then put hidden cameras in some of the residents rooms?
The hard part is the recording device, the DVR or VCR.
This has been going on so long, Pinks, that it's almost become accepted and , if it can be helped, people just try not to put relatives in nursing facilities. I am sure there are some good ones out there. Maybe.
desertwindrider read my blog view my photos
Jun 19, 2008 | 1:31 PM

I would probably commit suicide if I had to go to a nursing home. I have worked in nursing homes, and even the best of them are sorely lacking in care. You are at the mercy of the employees, most of whom are only there for the paycheck and could care less about the people they are supposed to care for.
aaro-nf read my blog view my photos
Jun 19, 2008 | 4:29 PM

thanks for the followup to gitrdone's blog, pinks. great job on the positng of this blog.
wiboots read my blog view my photos
Jun 19, 2008 | 5:03 PM

If you have a loved one in a nursing home you can lessen the chance of them becoming a victim by doing several or all of the below options.

1. Visit at all hours of the day and night. That way the staff does not know when to expect you. A nursing home cannot deny you visitaion at any time - its the law.

2. Check over your loved one for marks or injuries. Insist on an answer to the cause of the injuries and followup with your own inquiry.

3. Believe what your loved one tells you. If it sounds outlandish, it probably isn't. Victims cannot make up such stories.

4. Always ask to view the charts and question why certain medications are given.

5. Become a friend with your loved ones staff. Keep your friends close to your heart but your enemies closer.

6. Follow your gut instincts - they are usually right.

7. Call the police if you feel a person has been abused or assualted. They are required to investigate - and nursing homes hate it when the police are called.

8. If you do not like what is happening - get them out of there.

Just a few ideas, enjoy the day.

"Boots"
GITRDONE read my blog view my photos
Jun 21, 2008 | 9:17 PM

With all due respect Boots...#3 only holds water IF your loved one doesn't suffer from dimensia. Another thing that I have learned through working in this particular field is that when there are visitors at a nursing home...the staff tends to put on their "best behavior".
prettyinpinks read my blog view my photos
Jun 23, 2008 | 9:22 PM

Katbird, I was thinking of doing that, too. But I'm pretty sure that's illegal. This stinks because what they're DOING is illegal, but to catch them you'd have to . . . ugh. This sucks.

GIT, that's awful. Two faced people have always bugged me but that's taking it to the extreme.
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prettyinpinks

There are a lot of problems in the world, and if I'm the one to change them . . . I've got God on my side and I'm up to the challenge!

Member Since: 3/8/2007


 

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