In your family, do you have an aging loved one who may soon need to move into a nursing home? Are you concerned with what could happen to your aging loved one in a nursing home? How do you find one that will take responsible care of your loved one?
We have created a checklist of key items for you to look for as inquire about when visiting potential nursing homes. Use this checklist of key items before you decide on the right nursing home for your loved one. When you visit potential nursing homes, speak up and ask about these key items and whether there have been any incidences of these items occurring. The administration must be forthcoming in letting you know what happens in their facility in regard to the following key items.
1. Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers. These are painful sores that most often result from a lack of attention and care. Now this is especially true for senior residents who have difficulty with physical mobility. If an aging senior is left lying in bed or sitting in a wheelchair for too long, circulation can be impeded and sores may develop in areas of the body where skin presses against bone. Sores can be especially in the areas of the elbows, hips, ankles and along the spine. This is an extremely serious problem because infections can easily begin. These infections will lead to major health problems, and could even be life-threatening. They are also completely avoidable! Nursing home caretakers should be well-educated about them and treat aging residents accordingly.
2. Re-Positioning. If senior residents are at-risk for bedsores, ask how often they are re-positioned? As a general rule most everyone shifts and moves when sleeping or lying down, but seniors with mobility issues may not be able to. Therefore, they need to be gently, and frequently, re-positioned.
3. Hydration. It is imperative that everyone have proper hydration, but this is especially true for the elderly. Aging adults have skin that is especially vulnerable to becoming dry and thin from lack of fluids. This dry and thin skin of the aging adult then increases the risk of developing bedsores. Make sure that an aging loved one has plenty of liquids around them at all times, and advocate for the use of skin lotions as well.
4. Hygiene. When elderly people are immobile they need special attention to keep up their personal hygiene, especially with respect to bodily waste. If their hygiene is not properly cared for, irritated skin can lead almost immediately to rashes and infected bedsores and cause catastrophic results.
Armed with the knowledge of these basics will help you make sure that the facility your senior loved one moves into knows and understands how to protect aging seniors. In addition, and most importantly, when you visit your loved one you can observe whether the nursing home is caring properly for their aging and frail residents. With the health and well-being of vulnerable loved ones at stake, it is vital that you look out for bedsores and neglect when you visit.
If you suspect an aging loved one is suffering from neglect or bedsores in a nursing home, it is highly recommended that you speak with an attorney to do something about it. Do not wait. If you have questions, do not wait to contact our law office to ask them.
We know this article may raise more questions than it answers. We know you may have questions about this, and many other, issues. At the Perlin Estate Planning & Probate our credentials enable us to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to our legal services. By building relationships with our clients, we are also able to understand each client’s needs and desires, and we support such goals through thoughtful, comprehensive planning techniques. We encourage you to contact us and schedule a meeting.