Nursing Home Abuse Warning Signs - You Have Rights!

Making the decision to place a loved one in a nursing home facility is a difficult decision that needs to be thoroughly researched. Despite your diligence in choosing a qualified nursing home or elder care facility, you should beware of the signs of nursing home abuse to ensure your loved one is getting the proper care and is not a victim of abuse or neglect. There are warning signs that can be observed in both Nursing Home Abuse and Nursing Home Neglect providing you keep your eyes open and know what to look for. If, after investigation, you believe your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect you first need to ensure they are safe, then you need to contact the authorities and finally you should discuss the situation with a qualified nursing home abuse/neglect attorney so that you can fully understand your rights and the compensation you may be entitled to.

Nursing Home Abuse Warning Signs

The obvious signs of Nursing Home Abuse are injuries that you can actually see. For example, if your loved one is constantly developing new cuts, scratches and bruises it is possible that they are a victim of Nursing Home Abuse. If you notice the consistent appearance of physical injuries, it is important to investigate the issue immediately. Ask your loved one if everything is alright and if they are being mistreated. Many times, the resident may not want to discuss their injuries, so you must then follow up with the supervisor, attending doctor as well as analyze the residents charts. Once you have investigated the injuries, it is time for you to decide whether you need to take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of your loved one and report the abuse to the proper authorities.

Nursing Home Neglect Warning Signs

Nursing Home Neglect is more difficult to diagnose, as the physical signs are not as obvious as the signs of physical abuse. Signs of such neglect are bad hygiene, weight loss, dirty facilities (bathroom, dirty sheets, dirty underwear) and bed sores. All of the above warning signs could be due to non-neglect issues, but should be thoroughly investigated at the time of their discovery. Many elder care residents rely on the nursing home to ensure they are staying hydrated (plenty of water), fed with a well balanced diet, bathed and exercised. The above warning signs could be a sign that the nursing home may be neglecting their responsibility to take care of your loved one. Much like the appropriate action steps required of you in potential physical abuse situations, in a potential neglect situation you need to investigate all avenues while ensuring the safety of your loved one.

First and foremost, if you feel your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home, you need to ensure their safety. After your investigation of the abuse with the elder care facility administrator and attending doctor you should tell the patients primary care physician about your suspicion of abuse as well as your family and report the abuse to Police. Elder abuse is a crime with both criminal and civil penalties. Your next step is to protect your rights by contacting a qualified nursing home abuse attorney. A nursing abuse attorney will have experience handling these types of cases and will know what to look for to aid your civil case against the facility. There are a lot of factors that go into this type of lawsuit and it is not a battle that can be fought effectively without proper representation.

The Basics Of Nursing Entrepreneurship

Those certified nurses who are enthusiastic about pushing forward with some nursing entrepreneurship ideas will likely have a lot to be excited about. Because nurses have been through rigorous academic training and have assuredly earned their degrees, they will have much to offer the world. By setting up their own businesses, they can strike out independently and, in a sense, be their own bosses. Most nurses who try this should at least pick up some basics in business management so they know how to go about the process. They will also need to begin finding clients, which can be done rather easily with some tips and guidelines.

There are several ways in which nurses can use their skills to help patients. First off, they may very well find that some men and women have just recently arrived back from the hospital and need some sort of at-home care. Men and women can provide this kind of care, sometimes around the clock. If they will be caring for younger children, then they will need to have a formal discussion with the parents so that everyone knows what to expect out of the situation. If the young patients are not in immediate medical danger, then this might be the perfect nursing job.

Likewise, some senior citizens may have an acute illness but may wish to stay in their own homes. To avoid going to a nursing home or some other similarly themed retirement community, they will need nursing help. Some people may wish to build their nursing businesses on patients who are in this type of situation. If nurses can develop an outstanding reputation within the community, then they may make quite rapid progress in bringing new patients on board. Keeping files on the special needs of each particular patient is a good idea.

Some of the best nurses may go on to establish their own agencies after they graduate from school. Those who exhibit managerial skills may eventually find themselves overseeing a whole network of nurses. These nurses will be sent to the houses of different clients in the name of the agency. Assuming that excellent care is given, the agency will only continue to build itself up through the months and years. Some agencies will be in the business of making money while others will be non-profit in nature. There are advantages to each of these setups.

Developing skills in a broad array of areas will best prepare nurses to go into business for themselves. They will have to be eminently familiar with biology, anatomy, physiology, and a range of other sciences. It may even be best if nurses have a particular area of specialization that they can tout. Nurses will also have to be excellent communicators. Because they are often liaisons between patients and doctors, they will often be on call and may work long shifts. An attention to detail, especially on non-routine medical tasks, is also a must.

In short, when researching nursing entrepreneurship, men and women will have to take a number of things into consideration. As long as they set clear goals and have a plan for reaching those goals, they should be setting themselves up for success. As they begin to become more familiar with being self-employed, they should develop a method of completing tasks efficiently.

Copyright (c) 2012 Nurse Entrepreneur Network

Brain Damage and Personal Injury

Brain damage can occur in a variety of ways, but is considered to be any type of injury to the structure of the brain that disrupts or prevents normal brain function or healthy brain development. Brain damage can occur after birth (acquired, non-traumatic or traumatic brain injuries) or before birth (congenital brain injuries).

Most brain damage that occurs after birth is due to an injury of some sort. Unfortunately, many of these injuries are due to accidents that were caused by negligence on the part of someone else. Car accidents account for the majority of traumatic brain injuries. In these cases the driver of the car that caused the accident may be held accountable for the injury.

Similarly, brain damage injuries that occur before or during birth may also be the result of someone else's negligence. In these cases the doctor or other member of the medical staff could have made a mistake and caused the injury, or made the injury worse. In these cases you may be able to seek legal counsel to help you determine what your legal rights are, and to help you recoup some of your monetary loss.

To help you gain more insight into brain damage, it is first important to understand the different types of injuries and how they can occur. Let's begin by taking a look at congenital brain injuries. These types of injuries can be caused by a trauma, genetic defect, infection, poisoning, anoxia, or hypoxia. The result can be quite devastating and can appear in the form of conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, epilepsy, or dyslexia.

Cerebral palsy has been linked to several causes, including trauma during birth, premature birth, infection, poor oxygen or blood supply to a developing fetus, and infant diseases such as encephalitis or meningitis. This condition is often a result of a birth injury and can manifest itself in a variety of neurological disorders that can prove quite debilitating.

Down syndrome is another type of birth disorder that is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in each cell. The condition can lead to mental retardation, gastrointestinal issues, and heart conditions. Down syndrome occurs more so among the children born to women over the age of 40.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is an incurable brain disorder that is a result of the mother consuming alcohol while pregnant. This can lead to mental retardation, growth issues, and low birth weight. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome often have problems with their central nervous system, as well as behavioral issues.

Epilepsy is another incurable brain disorder that can develop before birth. Epilepsy causes the brain to produce intermittent bursts of electrical energy that can be quite intense and adversely affect overall brain function. The condition can manifest itself by producing convulsions and loss of consciousness. Epilepsy has been linked to brain development problems, as well as birth injuries. It can also develop later in life.

Dyslexia is a common type of learning disability that causes the brain to misinterpret what the eyes see and then translate into written or spoken language. Letter and words often appear incorrect, backwards, or cannot be recognized properly. It is not known exactly what causes dyslexia to occur.

Finally, congenital hydrocephalus is a type of brain damage that presents itself with an excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain during the birth process. This condition is caused by prenatal bleeding, infections, or other genetic disorders. It is often associated with other types of birth defects.

Acquired brain damage can occur after birth, and can be classified as either non-traumatic, or traumatic. These types of injuries often are the result of accidents, violent acts, sports injuries, or from other conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases or internal conditions.

Traumatic brain injuries can be either closed head injuries, or open head injuries. Closed head injuries do not involve objects penetrating the skull. Open head injuries involve objects penetrating the skull and directly impacting the brain.

Symptoms of both closed and open head injuries can range a great deal from very subtle to very severe. There can be many different cognitive and behavioral changes, as well as various types of physical ailments.

A traumatic brain injury can show up in the form of a concussion, blood pooling (hematoma), bleeding (hemorrhage), bruising, or skull fractures. Infections, epilepsy, intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus, ischemia, and vasospasm are common secondary injuries that can result from traumatic brain injuries.

It is often quite difficult to diagnose traumatic brain injuries because the symptoms can range a great deal and may be accompanied by other conditions. Imaging tests, monitoring of the length of time of unconsciousness, and the Glasgow Coma Scale are common tools used to diagnose these conditions.

The end result of a traumatic brain injury can also be quite varied, and may require nothing more than bed rest, all the way up to complicated neurosurgical procedures, and lifelong rehabilitation treatments. Patients who have suffered only mild injuries may be able to fully recover, while individuals with moderate to severe injuries may never recover. Permanent disabilities, loss of brain function, coma, a persistent vegetative state, and even death can result.

Non-traumatic brain injuries occur from internal or neurodegenerative conditions that cause damage to the neurons. Infection, alcohol abuse, hypoxia, anoxia, stroke, and tumors can all cause this damage. The result is a progressive deterioration of brain function; issues with memory, speaking, muscle control, problem solving and reasoning are all quite common.

If you or a loved one has experienced brain damage, or had any of these conditions made worse by someone else's negligence, a lawyer who specializes in personal injury can help. These types of attorneys will evaluate your case, explain your legal rights, and establish a course of action. He or she can determine how much monetary compensation you are entitled to receive as well. A personal injury attorney has plenty of experience handling these types of claims and knows exactly how to take your case to court. He or she will handle all aspects of the case from gathering evidence, to locating expert witnesses. This will allow you to focus on your or your loved one's recovery, while getting back to some state of normalcy.

Nursing Home Abuse: More Than Just Physical Violence

In the twilight of life, due to a deteriorating health, it often becomes necessary that more consistent and steady care and attention is given. While many would love to supply this to their loved ones once they reach this stage in their life, work schedules and the demands of modern living can often make it impossible. When this occurs, for many, nursing home facilities can provide the answer that is required.

Many nursing homes are reputable and trustworthy places in which loved ones in their golden years can receive experienced medical attention, companionship and care to ensure their continuing health and well-being. Unfortunately, this level of care does not extend to every single facility.

In fact, many fall short of the promise that they make and can deteriorate to being downright abusive. They can be a hotbed of elder abuse, leaving their victims to suffer from such things as contusions, lacerations, and other wounds from assault and physical attacks. This violence can also extend to being confined and being physically restricted.

Does nursing home abuse only incorporate physical violence? Actually, not at all. While this is the most prominent form of abuse and the one that is most easily seen, there are several other forms of abuse that can cause just as much, if not more pain in the lives of the victim.

Emotional abuse is extremely damaging to the victim. This can be manifested in the forms of threatening, intimidating, humiliating and using the victim as a scapegoat, and also can be seen in isolating, ignoring and neglecting the victim. The damages sustained from acts of this type are devastating; many of the elderly are no longer capable of standing up for themselves and end up suffering in silence.

Another form of abuse is that of sexual abuse. Personnel and staff in the nursing home can use their position of power in a way that leaves their patients completely vulnerable. Any form of contact with the patients that was not explicitly consented to can be boiled down to sexual abuse. This can be sexual acts committed upon the victim or forcing them to commit the sexual actions. It can also be something such as forcing them to watch pornographic material.

If you suspect that your loved has recently been the victim of such abuse, and you have begun to notice some telltale warning signs, you should not waste another moment. Regardless of whether they are suffering physical violence, emotional trauma, sexual abuse or even if their finances are being exploited, a personal injury lawyer should be contacted immediately.

Steps can be taken to hold the responsible parties liable for their actions and claims can be filed to fight for the just and deserved compensation. Damages that have been sustained should not be suffered without relief. No matter if you are fighting for compensation to cover medical treatment for injuries incurred, if you are looking to compensation for the pain and suffering, or even if you are looking to cover funeral costs in a wrongful death case, the legal assistance of an injury attorney is a priceless asset that should not be ignored. The sooner that you receive the legal aid of a knowledgeable lawyer, the sooner steps can be taken to seek a successful resolution of the case.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Nursing home neglect and abuse is a national disgrace. In fact, this is a widespread -- and increasing -- problem in the United States. An analysis of the death certificates of persons who died in California nursing homes between 1986 and 1993 revealed that over 7%, or 1 in 15, of the deaths of seniors in nursing homes, resulted at least in part, to utter neglect, lack of food or water, untreated bedsores, or other generally preventable ailments. Since that study, this nation's nursing home population has risen sharply. If the 1.6 million Americans now in nursing homes are dying of questionable causes at the same rate, then every year about 35,000 elderly citizens die prematurely or in unnecessary pain, or both. According to a survey published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 30% of those polled said they would rather perish than live in a nursing home.

The U.S. Congress and state legislatures have taken steps to make nursing homes accountable. The federal Nursing Home Reform Act states that a nursing home must provide "services and activities to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psycho-social well-being of each resident in accordance with a written plan of care." However, you still need to be alert to your own loved one's needs, and if necessary, demand that the nursing home respect all of his or her legal rights. Listed below are examples of positive steps you can take to prevent problems and ensure proper treatment in a nursing home for your relative or friend.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

It is important to watch for signs that your loved one may be a victim of abuse or neglect. Most nursing home residents must depend on the staff for most or all of their daily needs, including food, water, medicine, toileting, grooming, stimulation and turning.

Although most facilities provide good care, some cause needless suffering and death. Sadly, many nursing home residents are starved, dehydrated, over-medicated, and suffer painful pressure sores. In addition, they may be isolated, ignored, and deprived of social contact and stimulation.

The following is a list of some forms of nursing home abuse:

• Assault and battery


• Sexual assault and battery


• Rape


• Unreasonable physical constraint


• Prolonged deprivation of food or water


• Use of physical restraints, like straps or bels


• Use of chemical restraints, like sedatives or sleeping medications


• Use of psychotropic or other medications for any purpose not authorized by a physician


• Excessive dosages of medication


• Withholding needed medication


• Confinement to a room or fixed location

Nursing home abuse victimizes the most vulnerable individuals. Although many residents can report mistreatment, some cannot even describe what happened. If your relative or friend is a nursing home resident, you can help by watching out for signs of abuse, including:

• Unexplained injuries


• Inability of nursing home staff to give an adequate explanation of a resident's condition


• Open wounds, cuts, bruises, welts, or bedsores


• Slapping, pushing, shaking or beating


• Non-verbal signs from the nursing home resident that something is wrong, such as:
  • Unusual emotional outbursts or agitation
  
  
  
  
  • Extreme withdrawal or lack of communication
  
  
  • Unusual behavior, like sucking, biting, rocking, etc.
  
  
  • Humiliating, insulting, frightening, threatening or ignoring behavior towards family and friends
  
  
  • Desire to be isolated from other people
  
  
  
  

Signs of Nursing Home Neglect

Neglect means the negligent failure by any person with care or custody of an elderly or a dependent adult to exercise that degree of care that a reasonable person in a similar position would exercise.

Neglect includes, but is not limited to:

• Failure to provide food, clothing, shelter, or help with personal hygiene


• Failure to provide medical care for physical and mental health needs


• Failure to protect from health and safety hazards


• Failure to prevent malnutrition or dehydration


• Failure to provide the necessities of daily living


• Failure to prevent bed sores


• Failure to provide sanitary conditions


• Failure to prevent infections

Specific Examples of Common Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect Injuries

Bedsores

Bedsores are also known as pressure ulcers, pressure sores, and decubitus ulcers. The primary cause of bedsores is unrelieved pressure to a particular part of the body. They also may result from friction, like rubbing against something like a bed sheet, cast, brace, etc., or from prolonged exposure to cold.

Any area of skin tissue directly over a bone is a potential site for a bedsore. These areas include the spine, coccyx or "tailbone," hips, heels, and elbows. The factors that contribute to formation of a bedsore include poor nutrition, poor hygiene, weight loss, diabetes, and dehydration. The least serious kind of bedsore looks like skin discoloration, and may disappear within a few hours after relieving pressure on that area. However, more severe bedsores are profound wounds, which can extend through skin tissue into internal organs or bones.

Medical professionals have identified similarities between bedsores and burns. Like a first-degree burn, a mild bedsore may involve mild redness of the skin and/or blisters. A third-degree or fourth-degree burn, or severe bedsore, may have a deep open wound with a lot of blackened tissue, which is called "eschar." The primary treatment for bedsores starts with removing all pressure from the affected area, to prevent further tissue decay and promote healing. The victim must be turned or repositioned frequently and get enriched nutrition. The affected area must be kept clean, and dead or necrotic tissue should be removed to minimize the risk of infection. The worst bedsores often require a surgical procedure, known as debridement of dead tissue.

If you suspect that a relative or friend is suffering from a bedsore, you need to get immediate medical attention for that individual. In addition, help your loved one get legal assistance. Very frequently, severe bedsores result from abuse and neglect. Federal regulations confirm that there rarely is a valid medical reason for a bedsore to develop into a massive deep wound, which is known as the stage 4 level.

Suffocation and Strangulation

A frail nursing home resident can suffocate or strangle to death in a hospital bed, if ignored or neglected by nursing home staff. Between 1993 and 1996, there were 74 of these cases reported, and probably many more went unreported.

The design of the side rails on a nursing home bed may contribute to the danger. Often side rails have slats that are spaced six or more inches apart. That space may trap an elderly person's head, causing him or her to strangle, or allow a thin individual to squeeze between the rails and fall to the floor. If the mattress on a nursing home bed does not fit properly in the bed frame, a patient may be trapped and strangle in a gap between the mattress and side-rails.

Broken Bones or Fractures

For the elderly, falling is the most frequent cause of fractures. Nursing home staff must regularly evaluate each patient; determine his or her risk for falling, and provide safety devices and services that each individual needs to minimize the risk of injury. Some of the risk factors for harmful falls include:

• Previous falls


• Cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)


• Stroke


• Central nervous system disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or dementia


• Problems with mobility and gait


• Low blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension) when trying to stand up


• Bowel or bladder incontinence


• Dizziness


• Dehydration


• Visual impairment (i.e. macular degeneration, cataracts, etc.)


• Use of restraints


• Medication side effects


• Slipping or tripping hazards, like torn or loose rugs or mats

The Cost of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect

The cost can be quite high for the treatment of a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect. Often the resulting injuries are permanent, and may require hospitalization or a higher level of medical treatment and nursing care than your loved one previously needed. This can be an extreme hardship for the victim and his or her family. If the injuries are the fault of a nursing home, then it should have insurance to pay for those substantial bills, other expenses, and damages for pain and suffering. Proving a nursing home abuse or neglect case is a complex process. To succeed, you need a lawyer who is well versed in the complicated laws that govern these legal actions.

Planning the Purchase of Nursing Home Furniture

Nursing and residential homes contain a great deal of furniture as they normally serve a substantial number of residents. Where any home or business needs high quality furniture of various kinds, it is perhaps of the utmost importance that nursing home furniture is comfortable, given the amount of time people will spend sitting or lying on them. In this article we'll look at the main types of furniture that should be considered.

Lounge Furniture

If you visit an nursing home, you'll realize that most of the residents stay in the day room. With this in mind, the armchairs that populate this room need to be two things. They need to be very robust, as an investment in a selection of armchairs will mean the chairs are sat on for long periods and might be moved around a lot. Lounge chairs will perhaps be moved around a little less than other types of furniture, and so can be a little bigger than in other parts of a nursing or residential home. The other aspect of lounge furniture its comfort; with so much sitting around watching TV or playing games, these armchairs need to be very comfortable.

Beds

If the lounge is where most residents stay for most of the time, then the bedroom is where they spend much of the remaining time. Among nursing home furniture beds, are perhaps some of the most specialized types. Normally of the single bed type, these beds again need to be very robust, although is any special requirements are sought in terms of mattress of mattress covering then this might be addressed separately. The trick with nursing home furniture is to find a balance between the very functional aspect of the furniture, the comfort, the aesthetic look and of course the price.

Dining Room

The dining room is where a great deal of movement occurs when compared to other activities that take place in a given home. This type of nursing home furniture is typified by being very manoeuvrable, with the bare minimum of widths being used so that people can be set before their dining tables with ease. There are various special devices that are in the realm of nursing or residential home furniture that can be invested in to make the dining process as easy as possible for resident and carer alike.

There are many companies that provide the special nursing home furniture and equipment required to make such an institution function smoothly and efficiently.

Choosing the Right Nursing Home Furniture

Nursing home furniture needs to fill a whole host of special needs: from its look, to its ease of cleaning and durability. The best furniture for nursing homes answers all three of these criteria affordably and well - allowing residents and temporary patients alike to live in the closest comfort they can to their own homes, whilst affording nursing staff the manoeuvrability and solidity they require in order to do their job effectively. As such, good furniture for these places presents quite a design and construction problem - though one, fortunately, that is being answered well by some new corporate furniture web sites: including the UK's own Triangle Interiors.

Triangle, which has made a pretty successful business out of designing and supplying bulk furniture for conference centres and hospitals, has recently added a quality range of nursing home furniture to its list. The range answers the three design criteria of good nursing furnishings extremely well. Triangle offer living room chairs, for example that have clearly been designed to replicate the kind of chair one might expect to find in the home of a person of that generation: pleasant, naturally coloured arm chairs, with high backs and furled armrests. They look almost indistinguishable from the "real" thing - but are stuffed with ergonomic design features that ensure ease of use in the nursing area situation. This nursing home furniture is easy to clean - it can be wiped down and disinfected in minutes. It's extremely durable, which means it holds its brightness and colour, as well as its working features, for a length of time that makes it economically practical to order. And it can be altered to make taking a patient out of it, in an emergency situation, extremely efficient and easy.

There are also ranges of bedroom furniture, built with the same three golden rules in mind. All the beds are comfortable, the tables are ornamental and simply built - but everything works in accordance with the daily requirements of a nursing establishment. This is nursing home furniture at its best: designed to look and feel like "normal" home furnishings, but well capable of withstanding the more intense stresses and strains of supporting less mobile patients. In effect, it's a trick, albeit a very kind hearted one: hospital furnishings, when all is said and done, made up to look like home decoration.

This, of course, is the most important trait of all. A nursing home is a place intended to give dignity, peace and as much happiness as possible to people who can no longer live in their own houses or flats. As such, the better ones are trying to take care of a wealth of memories and habits - and to detract attention from the frustrations inherent in having to be looked after. Nursing home furniture has a vital role to play in this illusion. Everyone knows that it is, really, hospital grade, designed to facilitate treatment rather than ornament: but, in the best of all possible worlds, it's also reminiscent of the homes the patients have been forced to leave.