Unfortunately, there are many ways that an elderly loved one can receive improper care in a nursing home. We discuss some of the most common issues in this section of our website. On the following pages, you will find information about what proper care should look like in a nursing home, as well as what improper care looks like. Identifying care issues can help you put a stop to them and protect your loved ones.
Care Elements
One care element to consider is wound care. Injuries can happen in nursing homes – both simple accidents, and issues that occur due to negligence. But what happens after an injury is sustained? Is the wound properly treated? Find out on this page.
Sometimes, physical or chemical restraints have to be used for the safety of nursing home residents. On this page you can learn about proper and improper use of such restraints.
There are many diseases and health complications that the elderly can face. Nursing home staff should be trained to deal with these issues and properly care for them. If your elderly loved one faces one of the following issues, make sure that the home can properly care for it:
A very common issue that the elderly face is arthritis. But, arthritis needs to be properly treated in a nursing home setting in order to relieve your loved one of pain. Learn about proper and improper treatment here.
Does your elderly loved one face a disability? Nursing home staff should be properly trained to deal with residents facing a disability so that they can properly help. Learn more about proper and improper care for the disabled on this page.
While it might be unpleasant to think about, many elderly people need to use catheters at some point. Improper catheter care can be very dangerous for your loved one. Learn about proper catheter care on this page of our website.
Many elderly people have hip or knee replacement surgeries. Post surgery care is very important in these situations! Make sure that your loved one’s nursing home can handle it by learning about care here. You can also specifically read about hip and knee replacement care on this page. Another surgery related issue to watch out for is anesthesia errors.
While it might seem simple, issues such as oral health care, bathing, grooming, skin care, and hygiene need to be taken into consideration by a nursing home. The home itself should also be kept clean to avoid issues such as bed bug infestations. It is the staff’s job to make sure that these things are properly cared for.
What happens when there is a problem with medication in a nursing home? Learn about overdose care on this page, and learn about prescription pill issues here.
The elderly can also develop sudden medical issues, such as:
- Pneumonia.
- Stroke.
- Sepsis.
- Bedsores.
- Feeding tube complications.
- Urinary incontinence.
- Food poisoning.
- Hearing loss.
- Infections.
- Burns.
- Bed rail injuries.
- Amputation.
- Dehydration.
- Choking.
Your elderly loved one should be properly watched to prevent other issues such as wheelchair accidents. Wheelchairs can be dangerous – they could malfunction or someone could get caught trying to get in or out of one.
These are just a few examples of the issues that your loved one could face and what needs to be treated in a nursing home. Check out the pages in this section for more information.