If we learned anything about the care of our elderly loved ones over the past two years, it is that overworked caretakers and staffing shortages can harm those in nursing homes. This is only exasperated by the fact that for the past two years many nursing homes limited how many visitors a resident could see. The following is an overview of how staffing shortages and limited transparency affected those living in nursing homes.
Staffing shortages
Staffing shortages in nursing homes have been a long-term problem. Nursing homes are supposed to have enough staff to provide the “highest practicable” care for each resident.
However, a 2018 Human Rights Watch report revealed that if a nursing home is significantly understaffed, it could lead to abuse. For example, a patient might not be moved enough, may suffer malnutrition or dehydration or staff could inappropriately try to keep residents sedated with antipsychotic drugs.
Limited transparency
For the past couple of years, nursing homes limited how many visitors a resident could have. Sometimes the nursing home was in a complete lockdown where no visitors were allowed. This meant that a resident’s loved ones were completely unaware of their resident’s decline due to inadequate care.
In addition, professional inspections by surveyors were limited. This lack of oversight led to limited transparency, meaning nursing homes could slack on certain areas without notice or repercussions. Officials were also extremely limited in their ability to visit nursing homes.
Help for your loved ones
You can seek help if your loved one was the subject of nursing home abuse or neglect due to staffing shortages or limited transparency. It may be possible to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the nursing home in order to protect your elderly loved one and obtain the compensation you deserve.
