One of the hidden causes for a lot of nursing home abuse is staffing shortages. Sometimes there aren’t enough workers to perform a task safely. This puts workers in a rough place. They either have to ignore the resident’s needs until enough help can arrive, or put themselves and the resident at risk to take care of the problem.
According to a story from NJ.com, sometimes caretakers injure themselves trying to help their residents. One worker tried lifting a wheelchair-bound resident by herself because the other resident on duty was too busy. The resident needed to use the restroom. Lifting the resident caused her shoulder to dislocate. Even after using the help light, no one arrived to assist her for 15 minutes.
Another group of assistants tried to lift a man with a broken femur. When he started to collapse, one of them pushed him into the bed to prevent further damage. The worker herniated a disc in her back from that.
The stresses of understaffed nursing homes can push workers to move to abuse and negligence. When you’re looking for a nursing home, ask them how well they are staffed and what procedures they have for handling confused and violent residents. Workers who feel like they are helping residents in a home that protects their needs will be better at helping your loved one.
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