Some mistreatment in nursing homes is overt. Angry, burned-out professionals engage in outright abusive behavior toward residents who rely on them for care. Other times, nursing home employees may not have bad intentions but may neglect their duties toward certain people.
Both abuse and neglect can lead to severe injury and illness for vulnerable nursing home residents. Many cases of nursing home neglect and abuse have a basis in staffing practices. Intentional understaffing is a common practice at nursing homes, and unintentional understaffing is a persistent problem nationwide. Understaffing is ultimately the underlying cause of many scenarios where residents suffer abuse or neglect at the hands of professionals paid for their care.
Understaffing has snowballed into a public health nightmare
Many nursing homes belong to for-profit businesses. The companies that run these facilities want to make money. Controlling staffing costs is a crucial element of making money off of vulnerable older adults. Unfortunately, the practice of keeping the minimum number of workers on hand has led to burn-out among many already working in the nursing home sector.
Reports of abusive employment practices, long shifts and low wages also prevent people from accepting work at nursing homes. This worker shortage leaves people unable to obtain rooms in nursing homes and at risk of unacceptable care standards after they move into a long-term care facility.
How understaffing hurts residents
Obviously, those who cannot obtain a bed in a nursing home due to lack of space and support suffer because of understaffing practices. Those already living at nursing homes may also experience the negative consequences of understaffing.
Workers may leave residents waiting for long times when they need help going to the bathroom, showering or feeding themselves. Workers may cut corners when providing care and support to residents. People may go long times without proper hygiene support, and the spaces they inhabit can become dirty. That puts them at risk of infections and infestations.
There’s also the risk of overt abuse. Burned-out nursing home employees may take their frustrations out on residents. They may become verbally or physically abusive toward the people in their care because of the stress related to their work or their anger about their mediocre compensation.
Families have to constantly monitor nursing homes to better ensure they deliver an adequate standard of care. Just one bad hiring decision could expose their loved one to severe abuse. Filing a lawsuit related to nursing home abuse and neglect can be a necessary step when nursing home residents don’t receive proper care. Family members need to watch for signs of abuse or neglect and document concerns that may require action.