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Nursing Home Neglect Can be Caused by Poor Working Conditions

With the nation’s elderly population increasing to an all time high, nursing home neglect is becoming a bigger problem than ever before. More direct care workers are needed to staff the nursing homes and long-term care facilities to keep up with the growing number of residents. Quality employees are in high demand and it is more important than ever to make sure that their working conditions are acceptable. This is a demanding and often thankless job, and unhappy employees can be the beginning of the nursing home neglect cycle.

Unsatisfied Employees can have Fatal Consequences

Nursing Home Abuse NJDirect care workers spend the most time with the nursing home residents. They are responsible for the daily tasks such as feeding, changing, and bathing and are frequently the most under appreciated of the nursing home staff. They often make low hourly wages without benefits and have little say in the actual care of their patients. Many direct care workers feel disrespected by their superiors. This anger is often taken out on the residents through direct abuse or neglect.

By giving these employees significant responsibilities, they will take more pride in their work and abuse and neglect will decrease. Making the direct care workers feel valued will improve overall care. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities need to implement a standard of care with their staff. Knowing exactly what is expected of them will eliminate careless mistakes. Investing in the employees through training and open communication about the care of the residents will make the staff feel more prepared and respected. These policy changes will improve the general work environment of the direct care workers and will hopefully lower the risk of neglect of the residents they care for on a daily basis.

Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is currently a resident at a nursing home and you fear that the care they are receiving may be considered negligent or abusive, you should contact a nursing home neglect lawyer for help. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Good seats still available in America’s worst nursing homes

Imagine opening up the newspaper and learning that your grandmother was resting comfortably in one of the nation’s worst nursing home. That’s right, your elderly loved one’s savings and insurance dollars going to paying for care at a facility noted for offenses involving unnecessary use of medication, bed sores, unlawful use of restraints, and inadequate safeguards to protect patients from day-to-day hazards in the nursing home.
After initially resisting their disclosure to the folks who paid for the survey- the taxpayers- the Bush administration finally published the names of 131 nursing homes with poor inspection records.

While any nursing home can make mistakes in elder care, the listed nursing homes have institutional deficits that have been ignored far too long. If your loved one is a patient at one of these facilities you should demand to know what steps are being taken to improve. Better yet, move your love one to a better facility – or at least to a facility that is not one of the worst in the country. Click here for the complete worst nursing home list.

In order to prevent other potential abuses in nursing homes go to our nursing home abuse page.

John R.Mininno, Esq. is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania trial lawyer representing clients in medical malpractice, defective products and other serious injury claims. He also writes about issues concerning patient safety. His offices are in Collingswood, NJ and Philadelphia, PA.