Isolation in Nursing Homes

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, an exorbitant percentage of nursing home facilities do not meet the standards set out by said agency. These facilities are inspected annually to determine their deficiencies. Interestingly, both government operated and privately owned facilities exhibited this trend of a high percentage of deficiency. In 2007, over 90% of facilities in both categories did not meet the government standards in place for the safety and best care of their residents.

Many of the complaints lobbied against assisted living facilities fall under the category of resident neglect. Resident neglect and abuse accounted for nearly 20% of the substantiated complaints that were filed between 2005 and 2007. One of the pressing types of neglect and abuse that is demonstrated in nursing homes is involuntary seclusion, often referred to as isolation.

Isolation is used as an inhumane method of disciplining residents of these facilities. Loneliness is a frequent struggle for many of the elderly because of natural passive circumstances. With the advancement of years, comes the natural decrease of close friends, loved ones, and peers. Though these losses are natural, they are not easy on anyone.

Loss of camaraderie  can be heightened by a physical or mental disability. The role of a caregiver should be to combat those disabilities through intentional socialization and activity. This is one of the primary benefits and responsibilities of an assisted living facility. That benefit is inhumanely denied by the practice of forced, involuntary seclusion of residents. These residents, who are often dependent on their caregivers, should not be forced into isolation by negligent practices of caregivers.

This area of resident neglect that is commonly reported amongst nursing home complaints must be combated in order to consider ourselves as a society that cares for it's elderly. Nursing homes have a responsibility to care for both the mental and physical well-being of their residents. For more information on improper isolation of nursing home residents, visit the website of the San Antonio nursing home abuse lawyers at Stouwie and Mayo.