Posted in: | Nov 05,2018
Seniors may be at a much higher risk of abuse and neglect when they live in for-profit nursing homes, compared to non-profit facilities.
New research published in the Gerontology journal recently indicates that residents of for-profit nursing home receive substandard care compared to residents of non-profit nursing facilities. According to the researchers, their study focused on more than 1,100 residents above the age of 60 who were treated at hospitals for the consequences of poor care between 2007 and 2011. Their study found that patients who were also residents of for-profit nursing homes were more likely to show up at the hospital for treatment of stage 3 and 4-bed sores, dehydration and broken feeding tubes and catheters. Residents of for-profit facilities were also more likely to suffer the consequences of improper or irregular delivery for their medications.
It’s not difficult to understand why standards of care are lower at for-profit facilities. These facilities are only accountable to shareholders who have invested in the facilities, and the highest profit margin – not a higher level of care – is the biggest priority at these homes. Also, these facilities tend to pay their level administrators more, which means that their lower level staff members – who are directly in charge of the care of the patient – are often paid less. The race for-profits may also cause for-profit nursing homes to scrimp on staffing numbers, resulting in lesser staff on the payroll. A combination of lower pay and higher workload leads to demotivated, stressed and overworked staff members who do not provide higher levels of care to residents.
The findings of the study are not actually surprising to attorneys who work with such cases of elder abuse and neglect every day. Earlier studies have also shown that falls, wrong dosages or irregular medications, and bed sores are much more common problems in for-profit nursing homes.
The Indianapolis attorneys at Montross Miller represent persons who have suffered injuries as a result of abuse and neglect in nursing homes. Your loved one may be eligible for damages if he or she has suffered injuries in a nursing facility. To learn if your loved one qualifies for a claim for damages and what kinds for damages are recoverable under the law, speak to a nursing home abuse attorney at our firm. A claim can cover medical expenses, pain and suffering.
