Nursing homes in the U.S. have a major problem with understaffing. Experts estimate that about half of all nursing homes in the U.S. are not properly staffed. They suffer from high rates of turnover. When nursing homes in California are not properly staffed, the residents can be neglected and abused as a result.
Many elderly people are forced to live in nursing homes because of the high level of care they need. Typically, family members put a lot of thought and effort into selecting a nursing home for their loved one. They entrust the nursing home staff to provide proper care and attention to their loved ones. The residents may require constant monitoring and care because of their medical conditions.
If understaffing does occur at a nursing home, a number of preventable medical conditions can result. One of the most common is bedsores (also called pressure sores). Bedsores are a sign that a nursing home is not providing proper care, which may be because of understaffing. Bedsores can be easily prevented by keeping a resident active and providing proper nutrition, repositioning the patient regularly, keeping the facility clean, and identifying bedsores early.
Some other signs that a nursing home is not properly staffed and not providing proper care is bad hygiene of your loved one, torn or dirty clothing, hunger, dehydration or malnutrition, long periods of being unsupervised, and a lack of medical or dental care. It is the duty of nursing home managers to be aware of what is happening with patients in a facility.
If your loved one is showing signs of abuse or neglect in a nursing home, you should speak with the administrators. You may also choose to talk to a California nursing home abuse or neglect attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles nursing home malpractice attorney at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.