Bedsores are very serious conditions that in almost all cases are caused by neglgect. The incidence of serious bedsores in a nursing home's population is one factor that should be used in choosng a facility.
Perhaps the most disturbing and most common medical problem found among nursing home residents is dehydration. All human being need water to survive. In a study published by the American Geriatric Society in 1999 that included 40 nursing home patients from two facilities, it was determined that 39 of the 40 (97.5%) nursing home residents were not provided enough fluids to sustain a healthy life. More disturbing 24 of 40 (62.5%) were found to have illnesses related to dehydration. : J Am Geriatr Soc. 1999 Oct;47(10):1187-94.Links.
Falls cause more than 1800 deaths per year in nursing homes. Most falls are preventable through simple measures. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, over the course of their stay it is likely that they will be injured as a result of a preventable fall. According to published studies by the NIH and CDC 3 out of 4 nursing home residents fall each year. For every 100 residents there are 250-400 falls reported each year. Most falls go unreported.
Nursing home abuse is on the rise.Nursing Home abuse can take several forms. It can include physical, mental, verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse, corporal punishment, unreasonable seclusion, and intimidation. Examples include:
With an increasingly aging population, stories of nursing home abuse are becoming more common place. Reports of physical, mental, emotional and even sexual abuse frequently appear in the news. Nursing home abuse and neglect should not occur. All of us must take steps to prevent elder abuse.
Nursing home abuse takes many forms, perhaps the most reprehensible form of elder abuse is to allow continued suffering. This new for of abuse stems from a desire to drive profits.
