Abuse in Nursing Homes or Assisted Living

Michella A

New Member
Location
Michigan
I recently had been thinking of going to a home. I want a more independent route but can't seem to bring myself to commit. I did see the new story about a place in Detroit. The story showed camera footage of a male nurse choking a older woman into her wheel chair and punched her in the face. I can't help to think that if he felt so comfortable to do that on camera, the whole place must engage in the abuse too. It's such a scary situation and makes it even more harder to to consider a nursing home or facility.
 

Welcome to the forum Michelle. ❤

The only suggestion I can make is for you to personally visit various nursing homes and choose the one you feel most comfortable with.

This is what I did with my parents since they both needed specialized care 24/7 and it proved worthwhile. At first they were dead against it. Now they are getting the care they need, they are much healthier, and have adapted quite well considering. They are happily sharing the same room.

Ask plenty of questions. Take good notice of the way the current residents are being treated. Are they happy? Take your time and don’t commit until you are absolutely certain of your decision. Most facilities will be more than happy to fulfill your request.

Good luck to you
 
Welcome to the forum Michelle. ❤

The only suggestion I can make is for you to personally visit various nursing homes and choose the one you feel most comfortable with. This is what I did with my parents since they both needed care specialized care 24/7 and it proved worthwhile. At first they were dead against it. Now they are getting the care they need, they much healthier, and have adapted quite well considering.

Ask plenty of questions. Take good notice of the way the current residents are being treated. Are they happy? Take your time and don’t commit until you are absolutely certain of your decision. Most facilities will be more than happy to fulfill your request.

Good luck to you
Thanks darling
 

Keesha has very good advice. When it was obvious my mother-in-law needed extra care, my husband and I made appointments to take her to 3 different assisted living facilities. She chose the one she liked best. They gave excellent care, and kept us informed of any difficulties or problems.

Good luck with your search - and, welcome to the forum, Michella.
 
do you have relatives, friends that can make unannounced visits-nursing homes hate unannounced visits, but it gives them a head's up-'someone is interested in this resident's welfare.
Consider:
Church affiliated nursing homes, where the profit motive is not the only
consideration would be my pick.

Investigate, take your time, don't rush a decision. If you get a feeling,
'things aren't quite right,' LISTEN!
 
do you have relatives, friends that can make unannounced visits-nursing homes hate unannounced visits, but it gives them a head's up-'someone is interested in this resident's welfare.
Consider:
Church affiliated nursing homes, where the profit motive is not the only
consideration would be my pick.

Investigate, take your time, don't rush a decision. If you get a feeling,
'things aren't quite right,' LISTEN!
Thanks Jerry. I have 3 daughters that are extremely protective of me and I saw that a few places we went to together it seemed as if the places were not so pleased with the questions my daughters were asking them, I guess maybe they felt bombarded. So I figured I try to go myself but I think I'll stick with my daughters. I see now why they were asking so many questions, hell I was ashamed I didn't think of their questions. Also, every place we went to together they all would look at me and say ma this isn't a good place. I was confused because everyone seemed nice and understanding,but my daughters were telling me "no" they all seem that way on tours. I get what they were seeing and saying now.
 
When my parents owned and operated a home many decades ago, they were absolutely livid when hearing stories in the news about abuse and neglect of elderly persons in nursing homes and similar facilities.
However, there's another serious issue that either wasn't as common in those days or wasn't known about- misusing psychiatric medications to control patients' behavior and make them more 'manageable.'
Statistics from research nearly 4 years ago stated "25% of nursing home residents in this country are on anti-psychotic medications"- often without the patients' or family members' consent, and without any medical necessity.
Considering the widespread 'push' for what some refer to as psychiatric drugging, it's safe to assume this problem is worsening.
So if you don't mind some advice, don't move into any facility without somehow learning if they practice this.
 
In America, the profit motive drives the economy, nursing homes are
in the same category.
Without a friend, family member to visit the Nursing Home, your in trouble.
Basically, your a prisoner.
As post 9 illustrates, the more docile the cliental are, the easier they are to manage, less employees are need to monitor the patients.

Unless you are private pay, your supposed to get twenty dollars a month
for purchase of personal articles.

Nursing homes are a holding center for cemeteries; I suppose they are a
needed facility in our current society.
My opinion-a terrible way to end your days.
.
 
When my parents owned and operated a home many decades ago, they were absolutely livid when hearing stories in the news about abuse and neglect of elderly persons in nursing homes and similar facilities.
However, there's another serious issue that either wasn't as common in those days or wasn't known about- misusing psychiatric medications to control patients' behavior and make them more 'manageable.'
Statistics from research nearly 4 years ago stated "25% of nursing home residents in this country are on anti-psychotic medications"- often without the patients' or family members' consent, and without any medical necessity.
Considering the widespread 'push' for what some refer to as psychiatric drugging, it's safe to assume this problem is worsening.
So if you don't mind some advice, don't move into any facility without somehow learning if they practice this.

If I can add: if you and your daughters are considering a facility, snoop around- go around and meet patients/residents, notice whether they seem happy and healthy, or whether they're acting somewhat unusual. And if the staff tells you you cannot do this, give them the figurative middle-finger and look for a different facility!!
 
In Australia, the stories of abuse in Aged Care "Homes" have gone so far that we've had a Royal Commission.

So far, only an interim report has been released, and our Government won't act until the final report is released.

I know I have friends, who, although qualified to work in the Aged Care Homes in my local area refused to take employment, because they were so appalled at the treatment handed out to the older people in the "supposed" care.
 
It seems that there is a difference between Aged Care and Nursing homes.

In Australia, most residents in Nursing homes are those who are the most vulnerable. Those who have dementia, or who have had some other life changing condition that requires them to be cared for, 24 hours per day.

I enclose a picture of a meal, served to residents in a Nursing Home, in Australia, for lunch on Christmas Day.

Baked Beans and two scoops of mashed potato/Nursing home foos.jpg
 
you can survive on beans and potatoes, BUT it is a dour meal.
if that's a sample, I would guess worse means are served.

Old people are burnt out, impotent, and useless.
There is some truth to that, but your going to have to drag me out of
my home.
 
One of my colleagues and I did quite a bit of research on nursing homes - mostly looking at the kind of "abuse" that goes unmentioned: the infantilization of the elderly. This is a phenomenon that doesn't usually show up in the "ratings" since many nursing home staff think it is comforting for the elderly to be treated like infants. Most elderly people disagree.

Anyway, here is one source for nursing home ratings for each state.

https://nursinghomerating.org/
 
firstly I would not jump into it to quickly 'ask others about there care from relatives who have a parent in there '
not sure if you get help the aged over there as we do in the UK. so shop around look into these homes '
you can always put up a hidden camera in your room for safety sake peace of mind for you daughters to check '

I worked in a private one long ago it was okish ' I was in the catering food part , but the abuse does go on especially over here
they have jailed people on this a lot ..reason is you get people apply for the care never vetted in their background 'and to phone their
last employers up ' to must rush and most have not a clue in this business; so get feed back from as many people you can about a home ..good luck..
 
Having worked in a number of nursing homes over the years, my thoughts on it is that no matter how good the home is, it only takes one bad nurse or aide to ruin their record. It is not the home itself, but the staff on that floor who really needs to be evaluated. The thing about that is that it changes constantly. I worked in one run by the county for a few years that the residents were divided into groups. One aide on each shift would be responsible for each group. I thought this was good because I really knew each of my residents. I had 3 rooms of 3 people and on the week-end I had two extra people. When the aide knows her resident, she knows if something is not right. But when you have different ones each night you don't bond with them. The problem in most homes is they give the aides too many residents to care for and the aide is rushed the whole time. I tried to treat each one, even my difficult ones (they were my favorites!) the way I'd want my parents treated if it was them in the nursing home.

I have seen abuse also, but not where I worked. My mother-in-law had her legs amputated and the first night after coming from the hospital, the aides putting her on the toilet and back to bed were rough with her. She had complained to the one aide that her necklace was hitting her in the face (they are not supposed to have jewelry on to begin with). So the aide got mad at her and threw her in the bed. Well, she ended up in the ER due to the stitches opening right after that. The doctor was very mad and the aide fired.
 
It seems that there is a difference between Aged Care and Nursing homes.

In Australia, most residents in Nursing homes are those who are the most vulnerable. Those who have dementia, or who have had some other life changing condition that requires them to be cared for, 24 hours per day.

I enclose a picture of a meal, served to residents in a Nursing Home, in Australia, for lunch on Christmas Day.

Baked Beans and two scoops of mashed potato/View attachment 92575

It may have changed in recent years, and/or the laws/policies may vary from state to state, but when my parents were in business there were only two actual differences that I recall:
Nursing homes were required to have an R.N. present 24/7, and were allowed to accept bedridden patients.
What my parents had was referred to as a Rest Home- there were aides present 24/7, but they weren't required to have any special training/certification; and we could accept folks in wheelchairs, as long as they were ambulatory.
 
nursing homes are business ventures-their primary concern it the bottom line. their not there to treat granny 'nice,'
you check out a nursing home to see if it's suitable for granny, the nursing
home is full of granny's. All are a pain in the butt with their incessant whining, demanding...
The nursing home views your granny as a resident which becomes a figure on their flow chart.
You want good care for granny; the nursing home views her as a number.

Katlupe's
post is of interest, especially when you pull up MARLENE'S
CHART: Texas, California-states with big populations and lots of violations,
New York, another state with a big population has far less violations.

The nursing home industry has a very, very strong lobby in my (Tx)
state. They can get any threating law quashed or amended with 30 day.
I see the nursing home political clout as the major problem.
Given the no politics rule, I will not go any further on that topic.
will post events of personal knowledge later.
 
IMO we get what we deserve.

Until we change our priorities about childcare, eldercare, etc... nothing will change or improve.

We live in a world where people are more concerned about a trip to Disney World, a new car, jumbo television, etc... than they are about caring for themselves and the people that they profess to love.
 
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One change that has to be made in the nursing homes is to start treating the CNAs (certified nursing assistants) as they are not doing the lowest level job in the place. They do all the care, not the nurses. If they took pride in the job they do and cared more about the residents, the care in the nursing home would start improving. Once they get that certificate, they start the circuit of going from one nursing home to another.

One other thing I saw in that type of work is instead of all aides and nurses working together, including all 3 shifts, they try to get the other shifts in trouble. So quick to report someone if they make a mistake instead of fixing it or showing them what they did wrong. Which of course, leads to working short again until someone new is hired. Then going through the process of teaching someone new the job. I was fortunate to be on a good unit, but one of the hardest as most were total care.
 
One change that has to be made in the nursing homes is to start treating the CNAs (certified nursing assistants) as they are not doing the lowest level job in the place. They do all the care, not the nurses. If they took pride in the job they do and cared more about the residents, the care in the nursing home would start improving. Once they get that certificate, they start the circuit of going from one nursing home to another.

One other thing I saw in that type of work is instead of all aides and nurses working together, including all 3 shifts, they try to get the other shifts in trouble. So quick to report someone if they make a mistake instead of fixing it or showing them what they did wrong. Which of course, leads to working short again until someone new is hired. Then going through the process of teaching someone new the job. I was fortunate to be on a good unit, but one of the hardest as most were total care.

I'm curious as to why another member put a shocked symbol on my previous post but didn't know where to mention it.
But want to comment on your post here- I agree with what you said, but I've noticed something in recent years- while much has to do with state laws and they do differ, I'm kinda stunned by the goings-on that I've seen recently:
First, individuals can obtain CNA certification in 2 weeks!! My training was so long ago (and in a different state) that I can barely remember, but it was at least 6 months- classroom, lab, & fieldwork. What the heck can anyone learn in 2 weeks?!?
Second, CNA and Medical Assistant classes are given free-of-charge locally to homeless people; I knew two individuals who became certified as Medical Assistants who were both actively-practicing drug addicts. While it's good to help homeless people gain skills to get jobs, I really don't think this is a smart approach. Too often it's in the news of individuals caught stealing drugs from the facilities where they work.
 
I'm curious as to why another member put a shocked symbol on my previous post but didn't know where to mention it.
But want to comment on your post here- I agree with what you said, but I've noticed something in recent years- while much has to do with state laws and they do differ, I'm kinda stunned by the goings-on that I've seen recently:
First, individuals can obtain CNA certification in 2 weeks!! My training was so long ago (and in a different state) that I can barely remember, but it was at least 6 months- classroom, lab, & fieldwork. What the heck can anyone learn in 2 weeks?!?
Second, CNA and Medical Assistant classes are given free-of-charge locally to homeless people; I knew two individuals who became certified as Medical Assistants who were both actively-practicing drug addicts. While it's good to help homeless people gain skills to get jobs, I really don't think this is a smart approach. Too often it's in the news of individuals caught stealing drugs from the facilities where they work.
I put the wow on not because I was shocked but because I was surprised due to what you said: "they weren't required to have any special training/certification; and we could accept folks in wheelchairs, as long as they were ambulatory."

In NY, at least where I lived the certification course was much more than 2 weeks. And you had to take a test given by a state representative and it was a very serious test. Plus you had to go to inservices constantly to keep your training current with new regulations and methods of doing things. Back then we were not drug tested, but probably are now.

I think the reason that drug addicts, homeless and poor individuals are directed toward these type of jobs is because they think they can teach them these skills. But that keeps the job of caring for nursing home residents classified as a low level job. It shouldn't be. You really need to be a compassionate type of person to be good at it. Plus this type of job places drug addicts right in an area where they can get more drugs. This is why you have to be careful when you have home aides coming into your home also.

Another reason they hire these people for this job is that they didn't have to have a high school diploma either. Should have put them in a program to get their GED.
 


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