Careful Assessment Can Keep a Loved One from Falling Victim to Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse

Nursing home neglect and abuse attorneys assist clients with a wide variety of abuse and neglect claims every year.

While many of these incidents aren’t foreseeable, families can take preventive steps to ensure a loved one’s well being, starting with the selection of an appropriate facility.

The Ohio Department of Aging recommends the following review process to help identify the best nursing home for your loved one:

Location – Be realistic. Will the distance between the nursing home and friends and family facilitate or hinder visits to your loved one? Regular visits and vigilant observation are two of the best ways to identify nursing home neglect or abuse before it reaches a critical level.

Services – Does the facility’s description of services match your loved one’s medical, social and community connection needs?

Quality Indicators – The Ohio Department of Health provides a wide range of reports for each nursing home licensed by the State of Ohio and/or certified for Medicaid/Medicare by the federal government.

Make sure to check the following information (all easily available online) as part of your review:

• Inspection Reports, which provide information on compliance with state and federal law
• Facility Details, such as special services, religious or fraternal affiliations, accreditation, costs, and staffing ratios
• Family Satisfaction Survey Scores, which reflect the opinions of family members, providing useful insights during your review
• Resident Satisfaction Survey Scores, which provide the perceptions of facility residents gathered through face-to-face surveys

Pay particular attention to the details that address your loved one’s medical, social, spiritual and community needs. As an example, in selecting a facility for a person who enjoys socialization and activities, it would be good to consider nursing homes with high satisfaction marks for activities and few citations concerning choice and dining options.

On the other hand, family members of a person at risk for medical complications would want to avoid facilities that have low satisfaction scores for direct care and nursing staff and that are repeatedly cited for medication errors.

Costs – As you narrow down your options, confirm with each facility that it will accept your loved one’s insurance coverage or Medicaid or Medicare or that the rates are within your ability to pay privately.

Once you have your short list of preferred nursing homes, it’s imperative to visit each candidate. Next month we’ll run down a list of tips for assessing a facility in person.

A bad apple can get by even the most rigorous vetting processes. If you believe you’ve seen signs of abuse or neglect at your loved one’s facility, contact a nursing home neglect and abuse attorney for advice on your next steps.

Registered Nurse Attorney Angela T. Vagotis, represents Akron & Canton, Ohio, victims of nursing home abuse and neglect to help ensure their rights and safety. Contact Angela at 330-456-4122 or fill out this form.