There are safety rules and regulations applicable to nursing homes throughout the Atlanta area in order to prevent nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect. Unfortunately, many of these standards are violated by nursing care facilities. This can have serious consequences for patients.
An in-depth review of nursing homes in one state recently revealed the facilities which are cited for safety violations are often accused of committing repeat offenses. Evidence suggests this trend is widespread throughout the United States, with many homes making the same mistakes and failing patients in the same ways over and over.
Whenever a nursing home fails to provide appropriate care and patients are harmed by substandard conditions, victims and their families should consult with an Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer for help.
Repeated Safety Violations Show Atlanta Nursing Home Neglect Endangers Seniors
Democrat and Chronicle reported on an in-depth review of nursing home citations. Researchers looked at a total of 34 different nursing homes that had received a total of 768 citations for violating both state and federal regulations for nursing home care. The violations had been identified and citations issued between 2012 and 2015.
The research revealed that in 38 percent of cases, the nursing home was cited for a repeat offense. The home received additional citations for violating a safety standard it had already been cited for violating. This suggests nursing homes are not implementing changes to better protect residents, even when inspectors identify and fine the nursing homes for their substandard living conditions.
Many of the regulations the nursing homes were being repeatedly cited for violating were for serious lapses, such as failing to conduct an appropriate investigation in cases of abuse; failing to eliminate accident-causing hazards from the home; failing to provide care in accordance with care plans for residents; failure to maintain patient records related to medications; and failure to ensure qualified persons are providing care for seniors.
While these repeated failures to follow important safety rules was troubling enough, the research also indicated there were more violations related to caring for the sickest patients with serious and chronic conditions. When patients are in need of high levels of care, there are more stringent safety standards to ensure the patients are getting what they need. When these important regulations are violated, it is the most vulnerable who are harmed.
Nursing homes need to do significantly better in responding when they are cited for lapses and should ensure they are doing everything possible to provide appropriate care. One nursing home owner whose homes had 83 violations indicated a high percentage of patients on Medicaid and low Medicaid reimbursement rates were major contributing factors to why the nursing home was failing. While this is never an excuse, it may be important for legislatures to look into whether the Medicaid reimbursement rates are actually high enough to ensure seniors are appropriately care for when they are in a nursing home setting.
Do You Suspect Your Loved One Is Being Subjected To Nursing Home Abuse?
If you believe your loved one may be the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse you should speak with an experienced nursing home abuse attorney as soon as possible. Please online or call our office directly at (800) 234-9556 to schedule your free consultation.
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