How Understaffed And Underpaid Nursing Homes Foster Abuse

It's no secret that nursing home abuse is widespread throughout the United States. In their quest to increase their profits, nursing home owners are habitually understaffing and underpaying the people that they hire who are responsible for caring for our nation's elderly.

Consequently, in addition to having to deal with infirmity, illness, and disability, the residents of assisted living facilities and nursing homes often are subject to potentially lethal abuse from the staff as well as from each other.

An article that appeared in the New Orleans Times-Picayune on April 20, 2006 entitled "Lethal Threat" noted that inspectors had been investigating abusive behavior by a resident in a nursing home who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. The resident suffered from psychotic delusional and aggressive behavior.

During their investigation the inspectors noted that two nurses on the staff of the long term facility had said that "it was overwhelming and difficult for one nurse to provide the needed care for 50-56 residents on this Alzheimer's unit."

It's not surprising, then, that there are hundreds of records of reported abuse that range from staff members slapping, hitting, and shouting at residents to residents scratching, slapping, beating, and raping each other.

The worst abuse happens in homes that are inadequately staffed. Aides who are often not trained to deal with diseases such as Alzheimer's are often assigned to cover more duties than they are able to handle.

Nursing Home Staff Abuse

Many of the alleged cases of abuse in these homes seem to center on the least trained and lowest paid members of the nursing home staff. These are the certified nursing assistants. Their responsibility is to help the residents with their day-to-day activities such as dressing, personal grooming, bathing, and eating their meals.

Nursing Home Abuse By Residents

However, one of the most disturbing types of abuse found by the state's inspectors involves sexual assaults and rape.

A nursing assistant in Lake Charles, New Orleans, at the Martin de Porres nursing home, told a state inspector in May 1999 that a thirty seven year old female resident at the home who suffered from "profound mental retardation" and autism was repeatedly being raped by the male residents.

In their report the state inspectors said that a housekeeper revealed that in March 1999 he had discovered the woman being pinned against a wall and being raped by a male resident. He said he yelled at the man to stop and reported what happened to the nursing home's director of nursing.

The housekeeper said that the director said the woman "has feelings, wants, and needs." The director added that "if the sex was consensual, 'just close the door.'"

Although the records indicate that a couple of months later the Sheriff's Office was contacted, there aren't any records of that any charges were filed. In addition, the state files were purged so there isn't any information as to whether or not the home was sanctioned.

Sexual assaults as well as other types of assaults are often reduced at facilities that have an adequately sized and well trained nursing home staff. If you are looking for a nursing home for your loved one then one of the first things that you should do is ascertain the size and quality of the staff.

About the Author:
And, if you suspect that your loved one is being abused, contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer at http://www.sokolovelaw.com/legal-help/nursing-home-abuse/

Wendy Moyer on behalf of Sokolove Law.

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Tags: Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

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