Premier Healthcare 's Ohio Health Care Association

Choosing a long-term care facility can be very difficult because of incidents of abuse and/or neglect reported against care facilities can be overwhelming. For example in “Ending Elder Abuse: A family guide”, Diane Sandell lists many elder abuse incidents from her files such as: neglect of decubitis ulcers led to infection, sepsis, gangrene, and death. Facility failed to provide necessary diabetic diet; improper insulin administration, insulin overdose; dehydration and death. Resident left alone in chair in shower room fell, became paralyzed from neck down. Many reports of pinching, rough handling, slapping, yelling, threats (2000). It is believed that abuse is most likely to occur if the caregiver not only finds the work difficult but also (1) works full time, (2) cares for young children, (3) is poor, (4) feels little affection for the older person, (5) finds the elderly person very difficult, and (6) gets no support or help from others (Macionis, 2005). Although there is no excuse for abusing elderly Americans, it is still very prominent in today’s society. Diane Sandell explains in Ending Elder Abuse, that her 91 year old mother was beaten by a long-term care facility employee in the middle of the night for reasons unknown. It is stated that her mother died 6 weeks after the incident, unable to recover mentally from the abuse (2000).

Elder abuse includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect, exploitation and abandonment of our older generation (Falk, 2012). The people that cause these injuries include the elderly person’s own family and staff members of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, medical rehabilitation facilities and hospitals (NCOA, 2017). There is approximately 1 in 10 older adults that have experienced some type of elder abuse in the United States (NCOA, 2017). Within these staggering numbers, only 1

As health care workers we are under a legal obligation to protect an individual from any kind of abuse, whether it is physical, financial, emotional, sexual or psychological .Legislation, policies and procedures exist to promote a safer working environment and reduce the potential for risks occurring. They are tailored for the needs of each setting, known and understood by employers and employees and reviewed on a regular basis.

When you hear the words, “Nursing Home”, what comes to mind? Sad, helpless, elderly individuals? The smell of urine? An overall, unpleasant place to reside in? Unfortunately, this generic description is accurate amongst majority of the nursing home facilities across the United States. More often than not, the elderly suffer from inhumane living conditions while residing in a nursing facility. Quite often we hear stories on the news about cases of elder abuse in the nursing home and we automatically think physical, mental, or emotional abuse from caregivers. However, the fact that these individuals are also living amongst unsanitary, inhumane conditions, and ran by a staff that includes

When in a health and social care environment, there are always strategies and procedures in place which will help individuals to be at minimal risk of abuse. However there needs to be specific procedures in place that will help decrease any amount of risk.

Although it does not usually make news headlines and is rarely discussed, nursing home residents and the elderly experience abuse sometimes on a daily basis. Medical errors, physical abuse, or stealing from them could all be classified as abuse. All around the world today, a population that is not able to help itself is being harmed, whether it is physical or sexual abuse, exploitation, or not being properly supervised; the elderly and nursing home residents are being abused.

Healthcare organizations are committed to providing clients with quality service and experience while promoting safety, health, and healing. Nurses have the biggest impact in providing safe client care and are known for their commitment in improving or increasing client health. However, this ethical commitment may not always be met due to breakdowns in healthcare delivery. Deviations such as adoption of unsafe practices or behaviors can lead to sentinel events. Any disconnects or disruptions can be a detriment to client care. This paper will present recent cases of witnessed breakdowns of facility protocols that have led to adoptions of unsafe nursing practices, discuss its impact to healthcare, and how it has affected my personal perspective on the issue.

Too often seniors refuse to report abuse, neglect, or crime against them out of fear of losing independence. It is a common misconception that being victimized will deem you unfit to live independently and will result in being placed in a facility of some sort. It is important that seniors feel they can turn to those around them with concerns and incidents that occur. In the event that a senior is not forthcoming with information there are a number of avenues that may involve reporting of suspected incidents. Hospitals, doctors, community service organizations, and long term care facilities can report suspected crimes to authorities or Department of Social Services in an effort to protect the individual. If a senior cannot properly protect themselves then health care professionals from all areas should have the ability to act on behalf of the individual to seek help but not dictate the overall outcome as a result. For example: simply finding that a person has been a victim of exploitation should not mean that a person be moved immediately into a facility forfeiting their right to care for themselves. All facilities acting to protect a senior should aim to preserve senior

Court cases like Martha Bull’s who reads “Greenbrier Nursing and Rehabilitation Center had been negligent in treatment of Martha Bull, 76, who died at the nursing home April 7, 2008 after staff failed to act on a doctor 's orders to get her transferred to a hospital emergency room for treatment of severe abdominal pain,” are one of the many that support this disturbing stigma. Something as simple as a competent health provider, that was willing to see a task out into its completion could have been the saving grace for this women. For almost an entire twenty-four hours’ staff heard her cries of agony yet never made sure the proper paperwork was completed once it was filed. (Brantley, 1) In the case of Holder Vs. Beverly Enterprises Texas, Inc. an 83-year-old, bedridden woman by the name of Ruth Waites was hospitalized for dehydration as a result of an understaffed nursing home. Once admitted back to the nursing home she had developed pressures sores from being left unattended. The pressure sores soon became so severe that they caused a serious infection and led to Ms. Waites’ death. This entire case is a story of neglect, what the nursing home states as understaffing, and fraud. The fact that the nursing home was understaffed should have never been hidden from the families of the patients. These are facts that should have been announced to the community so that the appropriate qualified personnel could have attempted to solve the issue. (Nursing, 1) Another case follows with

Abuse can happen to anyone, but elderly adults residing in nursing homes are more vulnerable and have a higher risk for abuse (Rasansky Law Firm, 2006, para. 1). Elders are among the fastest growing in the population, and because of this many more elderly

Although the vast majority of nursing homes and their employees provide exemplary care to our senior and disabled loved ones, medical mistakes, abuse and neglect can and does happen. When those whom we depend on to provide care to this especially fragile population abuse this trust – whether they be doctors, nurses, nurses aides or other nursing home employees – the resulting injuries can be especially tragic and heartbreaking. In addition, not only are the nursing home residents themselves injured, but the residents’ family, adult children and relatives are also “injured” to the extent that their trust in the nursing home was

“The definition of a health professional is a person who works to protect and improve people’s health by the diagnosis and treatment of illness to bring about a complete recovery from mental, physical and social perspectives, either directly or indirectly (Kurban, 2010, pg. 760).” Nurses in the community today have acquired an increasing responsibility to intervene with medical decisions. In the past, there were clear differences between nurses and doctors. It was more common for a nurse to be supervised directly under the physician. They are not just performing Doctor’s orders anymore. The nurse role in patient care has been widely expanded. Allegations against someone can be one of the most stressful moments of their careers. Negligence

An organization such as the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS) is established to help Oregon hospitals understand how to best serve their unique communities, while continuing to reach state-wide goals. OAHHS currently has a primary goal of helping Oregon hospitals to reach the Triple Aim determined by healthcare reform: improving the quality of patient care and population health, while reducing the per capita costs. This type of organization completes ongoing analyses of their business, on a regular basis to ensure that they are communicating the most up-to-date information to the hospitals of their state. A SWOT analysis is one type on analysis that can help them to determine internal and external factors, including environmental and marketing challenges that may need addressed.

Instead of providing the care they thought they would be providing, they were reigning in members to a program with the promise of improved health while they felt their own health was being neglected or jeopardized due to added stress, no time for breaks or guaranteed family time. Corporate compliance was called anonymously with complaints of working conditions and a state wide meeting was held with the RN case managers to gather information. Staff was assured that their concerns were being heard and efforts would be made to improve the current state of affairs.

Aronovitz, Leslie G. "Nursing Homes: More Can Be Done to Protect Residents from Abuse." Nursing Homes: More Can Be Done to Protect Residents from Abuse. March 2002: ii-34. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 27 April 2012.