If your loved one lives in a nursing home, you might feel concerned that he or she will face neglect or abuse. However, there is another issue that you should look out for on behalf of your loved one: discrimination. While this might not be the first form of abuse that comes to mind, it can be a reality in nursing homes. Consider the following signs of discrimination to make sure that you prevent against this problem in a nursing home setting.
1. Staff Members Are Prejudiced
If you notice that staff members appear prejudiced against certain groups, they might take this prejudice out on nursing home residents, including your loved one. If your hear staff members making derogatory terms regarding certain groups of people, make sure to keep an eye on the situation.
2. Special Treatment For Some Residents
On the other hand, try to notice if certain residents are getting special treatment. While this might have nothing to do with discrimination, it is also possible that staff members are treating certain residents better based on their race, class, gender, or something similar.
3. Lack Of Resources For Your Loved One
If your loved one does not have access to resources that other residents have, this could point to discrimination.
4. Abuse
There are many different reasons why a staff member might abuse a resident. One such reason is prejudice. As a result of discrimination, certain residents could potentially experience abuse.
5. Neglect
Similarly, staff members might neglect certain residents based on their race, gender, or other discerning factors.
6. Change Of Behavior In Your Loved One
If your loved one suddenly seems distant, anxious, angry, depressed, or different in any way, it might be because something is wrong.
7. Prejudice Against You
Your loved one might not tell you about prejudices that he or she experiences, and you won’t be there to witness all of them yourself. But also consider the way that you get treated when visiting your loved one. If you are discriminated against while visiting, your loved one might be discriminated against as well.
8. History Of Discrimination In The Home
Before choosing the nursing home, you might want to look into its history. Is there a pattern of discrimination reports for the home? This could be a warning sign that discrimination could happen in the future.
9. Low Response Time
Similar to neglect, this could be the result of discrimination on the part of the nursing home staff.
10. Poor Preventative Care
Is your loved one getting the attention that he or she deserves? Are efforts made to help your loved one when he or she gets sick or has issues in order to stop them from getting worse? If not, discrimination could be a motive behind lack of preventative care.
These are just a few examples of how your loved one could be mistreated in a nursing home. While these signs don’t mean that discrimination is definitely taking place, if you notice any of these issues, you should keep a close eye on the situation and talk to your loved one.
