Why Nursing Home Abuse Happens

In previous posts, we’ve looked at the signs of nursing home negligence or abuse, different types of nursing home abuse, and what family members can do to protect their loved ones. One thing we haven’t looked at is why nursing home abuse occurs in the first place.

Without understanding the cause of nursing home abuse, it’s difficult to prevent it. Our Florida nursing home attorney has noticed several patterns in both assisted living and nursing home abuse cases. In almost every case, one or more of the following factors exists:

• Lack of professional management or supervision
• Understaffing
• Poorly trained or underpaid staff
• Low-quality nursing homes/nursing homes without adequate financial resources
• High-needs residents

It’s also worth noting that the more of these risk factors that exist, the higher the chance of abuses, negligence and accidents occurring.

How Resources Affect Nursing Home Abuse

In almost all of these instances, the abuse stems from a lack of resources. Poorly funded nursing homes cannot afford to hire the best staff or even enough staff. Employee training may be eliminated. A lack of supervisors or managers makes it easier for staff to harm patients. Inadequate supplies can also lead to resident harm. All of these issues can lead to a lower standard of care and set residents up for neglect and abuse. 

The risk is even greater if the facility houses high-needs patients such as those with disabilities, dementia or cognitive decline, veterans or residents with PTSD, and LGBT residents. Without adequate funding, facilities can’t provide top-quality care or hire staff who are skilled in caring for individuals with these needs.

Unfortunately, when it comes to choosing a nursing home or assisted living facility, you very often get what you pay for. 

What to Look For in a Care Facility

• A Low Staff-to-Patient Ratio. The fewer residents a staff member has to care for, the better the level of care received. Look at the number of support staff in place too. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities run on team effort, so a solid team of support, managerial, and front-line staff is essential to good care.

• Staff Training and Education. Ask about the training the staff receives and the type of education they have. Are they trained in how to care for their residents? Including those residents with special needs like Alzheimer’s? Do they have the tools they need to do their job?

• Site Management. Well-managed facilities generally experience fewer instances of abuse. Without on-site leadership and supervision, there is less accountability and oversight. Standards of care can fall and rogue staff members find it easy to abuse or neglect residents.  

Andres Beregovich Holds Care Facilities Accountable

Another part of the problem is the lack of consequences for abuse. Assisted living accidents, nursing home abuse and negligence are often unobserved and unreported but even when an issue is reported to the authorities, there’s a good chance nothing will come of it. State and local authorities may not investigate the reports or may do a cursory investigation. They may fine the facility or they may not. This lack of consequences just allows the problems to continue. 

What can families do if they suspect nursing home abuse or assisted living negligence? Contact The Beregovich Law Firm. Our nursing home abuse attorney, Andres Beregovich, investigates all claims to determine if, when and how the abuse occurred and is not afraid to go up against nursing homes to expose the truth and fight for better conditions for current and future residents. It is only by standing up to abusive nursing homes, exposing their crimes, and holding them accountable that we can create better conditions for all and hope to reduce the incidence of nursing home abuse. 

If you suspect your loved one has been abused in a Florida nursing home, contact The Beregovich Law Firm at (800) 631-9009 or email us to schedule a free consultation.