Top Three Nursing Home Staffing Mistakes That Lead to Nursing Home Abuse
Older adults who need assistance with daily living and who cannot live independently may relocate from a private residence to a long-term care facility or nursing home. This is why it is critical to have staff who know how to take care of residents and are responsible. Nursing home staff are the most critical aspect of a nursing home and the foundation for residents’ care. Poor staffing can cause great harm to residents.
If your loved one was hurt as a result of negligent staffing at their nursing home, you may be able to take legal action for the elder abuse that your loved one suffered. Our nursing home abuse attorney at Monaco Law PC can evaluate your situation and advise you on moving forward with a legal case.
How Poor Staffing at Nursing Homes Happens
It is the responsibility of a nursing home to hire the right staff because the staff are tasked with taking care of residents and keeping them safe. When a nursing home does not hold up its end of an agreement with residents that they will be given adequate care, then it can be liable for the damages a resident suffers.
The top three issues with staffing that happen so often at nursing homes around the nation include:
Negligent Hiring Practices
It is critical to thoroughly examine prospective nursing home staff before hiring. Vetting each individual to ensure that they have the background, skills, and qualifications and are not a safety risk is essential. When background checks are not performed, and no effort is made to look into an individual’s history, they can pose a significant threat to nursing home residents.
Understaffing
Many residents in nursing homes need full-time care. It is important to ensure that all residents have their needs addressed and taken care of. When there is not enough staff on hand to take care of residents, some residents may be ignored, passed over, or issued insufficient care for their needs.
Additionally, understaffing could lead to staff burnout and stress. This can cause even the most trained and respectable staff members to underperform in their duties, which can directly affect the residents. It can also lead to a staff member engaging in abusive practices due to the strain and pressure they have to endure at work.
Inadequate Education and Training
Standards should be in place for the training, education, and experience that a prospective nursing home employee should have or be able to learn and implement. When little effort is made to train staff or ensure that individuals have the right qualifications, they are not equipped with the knowledge and ability to care for residents properly.
Speak to a New Jersey and Pennsylvania Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today
Improper and negligent staffing practices can lead to serious harm and even death for residents in nursing homes. If your loved one was harmed in a nursing home, please call our South Jersey nursing home abuse lawyer at Monaco Law PC to schedule a free consultation at (609) 277-3166 for our New Jersey office and (215) 546-3166 for our office in Pennsylvania.
We are a New Jersey and Pennsylvania nursing home abuse law firm serving Atlantic County, Bucks County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Chester County, Cumberland County, Delaware County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, Ocean County, Salem County, and all of South Jersey.
Source:
nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/does-older-adult-your-life-need-help
