Many nursing homes are safe and positive places for elderly citizens to enjoy their golden years. At least, this is what you hope for your aging mom or dad. There are also elderly care facilities that are outright abusive and hazardous.
Then there are the nursing homes that fall somewhere in the middle. In negligent nursing homes, residents may not be victims of physical or sexual abuse, but they may not get the adequate care they need and deserve. Here are some red flags of a neglectful nursing home.
1. Bad personal hygiene
A lot of people living in nursing homes need assistance with personal hygiene, such as:
- Brushing their teeth
- Bathing
- Clipping their nails
- Combing their hair
If a nursing home does not have enough employees–or if staff members simply do not care–the residents who need aid may not get it. When this happens, the residents may have bad hygiene because they are unable to properly take care of themselves.
2. Malnutrition
Nursing home residents should have scheduled access to nutritious meals. Some residents may be able to go to the cafeteria, while others may need food delivered to their rooms. Whatever the case is, it is a basic requirement for a nursing home to provide the necessary food to the people living there. If this is not the case, residents may show signs of malnourishment, such as drastic weight loss and dehydration.
3. Unexplained injuries
Elderly people are more prone to getting hurt than others. A minor fall can easily result in broken bones. While some incidents are common, certain circumstances may suggest negligence. For example, if a resident who needs help walking around or getting out of bed does not receive that help and gets hurt as a result, this is because of neglect. Preventable injuries in a nursing home environment are unacceptable examples of negligent staff members.