Taking care of our elders means making hard decisions related to their health and often needing a safe space for 24-hour care, such as a nursing home. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes are created equal. Some nursing homes are less focused on correcting behavior and more concerned about filling rooms and gaining profits. Our Spokane nursing home abuse attorneys at Russell & Hill, PLLC are here to help you fight for your loved ones. No person, from an infant to 100, should have to fear abuse while receiving medical care. We are here to inform you that Washington has been ranked as one of the worst for nursing home abuse.
Washington Nursing Home Abuse Statistics
The Senior List is an organization that reviews nursing homes, amongst other elderly care issues, to shine a spotlight on the ongoing abuse to elders. Caretakers working in nursing homes range in age, ethnicity, and experience. In nursing homes, caretakers are usually strangers until they get to know their patients; thus, allowing them to exploit the patients. Here are some statistics gathered from the article:
- On average, there are 15,000 licensed nursing homes in the US. Each nursing home has about eight deficiencies.
- Washington ranks highest in most deficiencies per nursing home, totaling at 18.
- Washington ranked 6th out of average deficiencies per nursing home related to the patients’ health and safety living in the homes.
- Only 26% of nursing homes in Washington were rated five stars.
- A recent report from the Centers of Medicine and Medical Services showed that around $953k fines and denials had been made against the nursing homes in Washington
Deciding on a nursing home is a big decision. There are so many choices and factors to consider. Determining how much abuse happens in a nursing home should never be a factor to consider, but our Spokane nursing home abuse attorneys know all too well that abuse happens.
Five Types of Nursing Home Abuse
There are five main types of abuse:
- Physical
- Psychological
- Financial
- Sexual
- Neglect
The evidence for physical and neglect abuse can be more evident than the other three. The other three kinds of abuse require more intimate investigation. For example, with financial abuse, you need an attorney to file paperwork and gain access to confidential information regarding bank accounts and credit cards.
The majority of caretakers are there to do their job without any shady business. Unfortunately, not everyone is as kind or trustworthy. Even more unfortunate, sometimes families can’t come to visit as often as they like, or an elderly person has no one to visit them. This can lead the elderly to be more susceptible to abuse because no one checks up on them, leaving a caretaker to act without consequence.
Our nursing home abuse attorneys are ready to get you the justice you and your loved one deserves. If you suspect some abuse, your intuition may be right. You can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling 509-361-2065.