If your elderly loved one needs special care and attention, you may consider a nursing home. Unfortunately, it’s a shocking reality that nursing home abuse and neglect has become commonplace.

Assessing Nursing Home Safety

A thorough investigation of the facility you are considering is crucial. Asking the right questions and closely observing the facility you are considering can go a long way in preventing nursing home abuse. Ask these questions as you tour the facility:

· Are the nursing home and its current administrator licensed?

· Does the nursing home conduct background checks on all staff?

· How thorough are the background checks?

· Does the nursing home provide special services units for residents with special needs?

· Does the nursing home require abuse prevention training for its employees?

How Common is Nursing Home Abuse?

For the most part, nursing homes and other facilities that care for our elderly do an excellent job in meeting standards of compassionate care in a safe, efficient and sanitary environment. Rather than punishing the entire industry with additional laws that will increase costs, tougher standards imposed on those facilities that blatantly violate the law are needed. However, the facts remain that nursing home abuse continues to rise, with incidents in the thousands.

Congress found that that over 30 % of U.S. nursing homes were cited for abuse violations between January 1999 and January 2001. Over 2,500 of those violations were severe enough to cause serious injury or death. Since the time of that study, the nursing home industry has attempted to reform its policies and procedures to accommodate more thorough background checks of its employees, but is continually hampered by low budgets and high operating costs.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse and neglect can come in many forms, including:

· Bedsores

· Malnutrition

· Failure to thrive

· Physical abuse

· Mental abuse

· Sexual abuse

· Loss of personal hygiene

· Unusual depression

· Unexplained bruises, cuts or broken bones

Taking Every Report Seriously

Sometimes, because of the frail mental condition of the elderly individual, staff and family members disregard their reports of abuse. Investigators believe most cases are never reported. It is our job to protect the victims of abuse and bring the abusers to justice. If your loved one reports nursing home abuse, take the time to listen and investigate.