Sadly, nursing home neglect is not uncommon. Even the best nursing homes can hire someone who shouldn't be caring for patients, while other nursing homes don't provide or expect the appropriate training for their care attendants. Learning to recognize the signs of neglect...and then doing something about it...is essential if you want to protect your family members.
Because many nursing home patients cannot communicate, you need to be able to recognize the symptoms of neglect, including both physical and medical neglect.
One of the most obvious signs of nursing home neglect is a failure for care providers to assist in personal hygiene, including unsanitary or unclean conditions. If you would not want to live in the conditions you find your family member in, you need to make a complaint and let the nursing home management know that the conditions you see are not acceptable.
If your family member is not bedridden, you also need to make sure they are protected from health and safety hazards. As an example, if they have a mobility problem, there should not only be grab bars in the bathroom, but also assistive devices to help them get out of bed, out of their chair, and so forth.
Sometimes neglect is harder to detect. For example, your family member may have developed bedsores. In almost all cases, bedsores can be prevented by frequently turning the patient, and you should be concerned if your family member develops bedsores. On the other hand, sometimes bedsores occur, no matter how conscientious the caretaker.
As a result, in addition to noting how often your family member is moved to a new position, look for other things such as dehydration or wet diapers...these are indicators of neglect.
Obviously, if you are concerned about the care your family member is receiving, you can talk to the doctor in charge. However, do not get caught up in the "a doctor is a god" routine. If you are concerned about the care your family member is receiving and the doctor dismisses your concerns without giving you reasonable explanations, do not accept that. Medical neglect is no better than physical neglect...indeed, it can be worse...and poor access to decent medical services is simply not acceptable.
Should you suspect nursing home neglect of any sort, approach the nursing home administration first and express your concerns and your expectations for improvement. Should you see no improvement after having done so, then report the neglect. After all, it is a violation of both state and federal law to neglect a nursing home patient.
Reports can be made to the state health department, your state or local ombudsman for nursing home care, law enforcement, adult protective services, or a nursing home advocacy group.
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