Signs of Abuse to Look for before Placing a Parent in a New Jersey Nursing Home
A U.S. News & World Report article recently listed some of the “red flags” to be on the lookout for when deciding whether to place your elderly loved in a particular nursing home. The list included the following signs of nursing home abuse:
- Documented History of Violations: Nursing homes in New Jersey, New York and everywhere else in the U.S. are regulated by the State and Federal government. When a nursing home is found to have provided substandard care, the violation is documented by regulatory agencies. Before placing your loved one in a New Jersey nursing home, you should go online and conduct a little research to find out what kind of reputation the nursing home has. Good websites to visit include Medicare.gov and ProPublica, both of which provide users with comprehensive search engines to locate and compare nursing homes. New Jersey nursing homes are also required to keep the surveys for your review.
- High Turnover among Nursing Home Staff: When nursing home staff members are constantly leaving their positions to work elsewhere, it can be a major red flag that might indicate abuse or neglect. That’s why you should talk to nursing home staff and observe whether they seem happy with their work.
- Trust Your Gut: Don’t be afraid to rely on your instincts when you visit a nursing home and sense that something just isn’t right. Michael Schulman, a member of the elder planning task force for the American Institute of Certified Personal Accountants, suggested as much when he said that sometimes a person just “knows” when a nursing home or assisted-living facility isn’t right for their parent.
To learn more about how to spot a bad nursing home in New Jersey, read the U.S. News & World Report article, “5 Traits of the Worst Nursing Homes.”
If your elderly loved one has been injured due to nursing home abuse, nursing home negligence or any other type of poor nursing home care in New Jersey, you need to speak with a qualified nursing home neglect lawyer immediately. Barry Sugarman is an experienced nursing home abuse attorney who will make sure your loved one gets the care they need, want and deserve. Contact Mr. Sugarman today to schedule a free consultation about your case.
