Nursing home abuse is a serious issue affecting thousands of people annually. Ill-treatment takes many forms, from physical assault and neglect to financial exploitation and mental torture. While staff members or other residents often perpetrate nursing home abuse, it can also come from family members or friends. No matter who is accountable for the abuse, it is essential to take measures to stop it. Below are some mechanisms to prevent mistreatment in a care home.
Employ Trained Caregivers
Hiring unskilled and inexperienced caretakers may lead to challenges in your care facility. When shortlisting employees, ensure that they are well trained for the tasks. If any of them lacks the know-how, provide on-the-job training to improve the quality of their job. If your care home is profit-making, do not maximize profits by contracting incompetent workers on a lower budget. Cost reduction should not compromise the quality of care provided.
Involve the Individual’s Loved Ones
To better the care standard and avoid mistreatment, ensure the client’s relatives’ participation. They will be keen to observe incidents of ill-treatment of their loved ones. A person can easily notice problems by making frequent visits to the home. During the visits, spend quality time with your family member. This would provide an excellent opportunity to notice changes in appearance and moods. You can take the necessary action if the changes are attributed to abuse. In addition, you can make frequent phone calls to the care center to inquire how your relative is fairing.
Get to Meet the Primary Caregivers
It would be best if you met the nannies in care homes. Please spare some time, visit and interact with them to learn how they handle your relative. This way, you will learn any inconsistencies and discrepancies in their work that may result in mistreatment. You can identify the type of support caregivers need to perform the duties well through frequent visitations. For instance, you’ll understand where you need to assist the caretaker in attending to your loved one. After discovering your role, play it diligently to avoid inconveniencing the caretaker. Inconveniences may cause frustrations that stir up anger. Consequently, the nanny may decide to enact violence on your relative to relieve the bitterness.
Inform Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
When you visit a relative in a care facility and notice mistreatment incidents, note down all that you’ve observed. Take pictures of any visible injuries and bruises on their body. With all the evidence, file a nursing home abuse case in a court of law. Before attending the court sessions, inform a nursing home abuse lawyer. They will guide you on the necessary precautions to take and steer you in the right direction. Make sure to heed the advice given by the legal practitioners.
If you’re a shareholder in a care center, do not assume that the premises are immune to abuse. It is vital to raise awareness about mistreatment in nursing homes and provide resources and support for those who may be affected. There are several ways to prevent abuse, but it starts with each individual. You can play a crucial role in creating a safe environment for the elderly by speaking up and reporting any suspicion or knowledge of abuse.