When you place an elderly family member into the hands of nursing home staff, you assume that they will receive the utmost care. However, even the nation’s highest-rated nursing homes face complaints from residents and their family members. If long-term care facilities want to minimize liability issues, they will need to confront any incoming complaints as quickly as possible.
Around 1.4 million people live in long-term care facilities in the United States, and these residents require a high degree of care from staff in order to adequately meet their needs. When nursing homes fail to provide adequate care to tenants, not only do they gamble violating the federal Nursing Home Reform Law, but they also put our senior citizens’ health and wellness at risk.
Top Complaints from New York Long-Term Care Facility Residents
Seniors are often hesitant to move out of their homes and into a nursing home, resulting in common expressions of distaste. However, there are several complaints we see frequently arise that are completely justified, including:
Nursing Home Staff are Slow to Respond to the Call Button
Many times, a call button is a nursing home resident’s only means of signaling that they need assistance. In the event of an emergency, a short response time is essential and when a call for help is left unanswered the results could be dire.
The Food Served in Nursing Homes is Poor in Quality
Not only does nobody enjoy eating bad food, but inadequate food budgets and improper food handling at long-term care facilities could lead to problems like nutrition deficiencies, reduction in appetite, and/or foodborne illness.
Long-Term Care Facility Residents Lack Social Interaction
Living in a nursing home can make anyone feel isolated from the outside world, but if the staff fails to encourage social activity between residents or provide appropriate communication aids, it can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression among senior citizens.
Seniors Experience Too Many Sleep Disturbances in Nursing Homes
Many families send their loved ones to nursing homes because of their access to 24/7 healthcare. However, this round-the-clock care can lead to frequent interruptions in sleep. Night monitoring of vitals and medication administration are inevitable but conversations, TVs, and radios should be kept to a low volume overnight so that residents can get the sleep they need.
Long-Term Care Facilities Are Not Properly Staffed
Many nursing homes face severe staffing shortages, leaving the existing staff with higher workloads and reduced time for training. When facilities are understaffed, residents could feel as if their needs are being properly met or like they’re receiving adequate care.
Partner with a Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer in New York City
This list is far from including every complaint made against long-term care facilities. If you have a senior family member in a nursing home that has expressed concern about their treatment, contact the nursing home abuse lawyers with Dalli & Marino. Our team of experienced attorneys will be able to answer any questions or concerns you may have about the rights of seniors living in long-term care facilities.
Having served the New York City area for over 25 years, Dalli & Marino are skilled in evaluating elder abuse and will give you an honest opinion about your case. Call (888) 465-8790 or complete an online contact form to schedule a free consultation with us today.
