It can be sad to watch your parents decline mentally and physically as they age. You may try to help them out for a while, but eventually your parents may require more care than what you can provide. When this happens, you will likely want to place them in a nursing home. However, nursing home neglect and abuse is a real problem in Indiana and across the nation.
What constitutes nursing home abuse and neglect?
Nursing home abuse and neglect can take a variety of forms. For example, a nursing home resident could face physical neglect in the form of bedsores, falls, malnutrition and dehydration. Nursing home residents can also face emotional abuse in the form of threats made by staff, bullying and isolation. Nursing home residents can even face sexual abuse at the hands of staff or other residents. This is only a brief outline of nursing home abuse and neglect; there are many other ways a nursing home resident could face abuse or neglect.
Some say a lack of funding, pay, is part of the problem
According to some researchers, a lack of financial investment in caregiving contributed to the current nursing home neglect crisis. Elder care advocates want to see nursing homes account for how public monies received are spent. They also want to see restrictions enacted on how public funds can be spent by nursing homes.
However, the long-term care industry believes the receipt of more Medicaid funds would help, stating current funding is insufficient to provide adequate care for all. And policy experts state that lawmakers must prioritize issues in the long-term care industry, since many nursing home employees receive low pay, few benefits and some may have to work more than one job to make ends meet financially. A high turnover rate combined with low pay has led to a staffing shortage in many nursing homes which in turn can harm residents.
No one wants to be subjected to nursing home abuse and neglect
No one in Portage wants a loved one to be the victim of nursing home neglect. People may carefully vet potential homes before selecting one and may frequently visit their loved one to monitor their health, but this does not always prevent nursing home abuse and neglect from occurring. If you have concerns about the care your loved one is receiving in a nursing home, you will want to make sure you understand all your legal rights and options so you can make informed decisions.
