The sad truth is that there are people in the health care industry who should not be working with the elderly or physically impaired. There are people who are simply negligent and do not realize that they are doing anything wrong, and then there are people who are angry and frustrated and take it out on patients who cannot or do not know how to defend themselves. As a result, nursing home abuse continues to be a big problem, both in Omaha and around the country. If you suspect that someone you know is not being treated with the care and respect that they deserve, take action.
Violation of Trust
The responsibility of medical care practitioners, including employees in nursing homes, is a great responsibility. We cannot all be doctors, nurses, or dentists, and we cannot all know what is best for our health all the time. So we trust those who have been educated in these fields to know what is best and to do what is best, both for us and for our loved ones. Nursing home abuse is a violation of this trust in the worst of situations. Residents in a nursing home may not be able to report nursing home abuse, or if they do their memory or psychological state may be questioned rather than trusted.
What Constitutes Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse can be actual physical abuse, but it can also fall into the long list of negligence problems that are sadly common in nursing homes. Anything from errors in medication regimes, malnutrition, dehydration, or unsanitary conditions, to falls, emotional abuse, and theft, can be considered nursing home abuse and should be stopped and prosecuted as soon as these problems are discovered.
Should You Seek Legal Advice?
Your legal rights in regard to the nursing home care of a family member are very specific. You may want to find out what is going on and discover whether or not your loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse, but you’re not sure how to go about it. You can always voice your concerns to the administration of the nursing home, in hopes that they will take it seriously and monitor behavior of the staff. But if you are met with disbelief or if you feel that the abuse goes up the chain of command, it may be time to seek legal advice about your rights and what you should do to stop nursing home abuse.
