The report, titled Nursing Facilities’ Compliance with Federal Regulations of Abuse and Neglect, carried out investigations to determine the extent to which nursing homes and assisted living facilities went out of their way to accurately report accusations of elder neglect and abuse. The report uncovered a few inconsistencies with regard to abuse and neglect reporting:
The report also determined that about 10 percent of all of America’s seniors were abused, or 5 million individuals across the country. At the same time, 40 percent of all abuse allegations happened between employee and resident through abuse and neglect. The Office of The Inspector General carried out these investigations on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health Human Services. The government body recommended that nursing facilities ought to comply with policies relating to reporting abuse and neglect, as well as notify individuals who are required to report reasonable suspicions of crime in a timely manner to the relevant authorities. The report comes hot on the heels of a Texas expose which reported the presence of warning signs identified by the state, pointing to the perpetration of abuse on a resident-to-resident basis.
Nursing home abuse is a serious issue which may lead to lasting physical, emotional and psychological scars. By doing your part in ensuring that residents are well taken care of as well as given a voice to communicate their discontent over the goings on of their facilities, you’ll help in alleviating suffering in this vital section of the population, enhancing the quality of their lives well into their golden years.
