Have you ever walked through your elderly loved one’s nursing home and felt like there simply were not enough people on staff? Maybe it took you 10 minutes to even find a staff member to talk to. Maybe you pulled the cord or pushed the call button in the room and no one responded for half an hour. No matter how it happened, you think it creates a dangerous situation.
You’re not wrong, and you’re certainly not alone. The government understands that many nursing homes operate with far fewer staff members than needed, often as a way of saving money. This is not acceptable, as it puts the residents in danger, and the nursing home directors have rules and regulations they need to follow.
That’s where the real problem begins, though. One study that was reported by PBS found that most nursing homes not only did not have enough people on staff but that they had actually reported higher numbers to the government. In effect, they lied about how many people they had working at any time to make it look like they were properly following regulations. In a practical sense, on an everyday basis, they were not.
As this shows, rules and regulations can only do so much. When money is on the line, you are always going to have people and companies that are going to break those rules. This is a serious issue and your loved one may be neglected by the staff or even abused by frustrated staff members who feel overwhelmed when they don’t have enough help. If this happens, make sure your family is well aware of the legal options that you have.
