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12 Red Flags to Avoid When Choosing the Right NY Assisted Living Facility

The decision to place a family member in a nursing home is not an easy one to make, but in many cases, it is the only way to ensure that they receive the care and attention they need. While many long-term care facilities in New York are staffed with nurses, caregivers, and employees who provide our loved ones with the quality of compassion and care they deserve, some do not.

12 Red Flags of a Potentially Troublesome Nursing Home in NY

Some New York assisted living facilities are hotspots for abuse and neglect, but how can you differentiate the good nursing homes from the bad ones? When choosing a long-term care facility for your family member, keep an eye out for these twelve red flags:

1. The Nursing Home Has Bad Reviews

Residents of assisted living facilities and their families typically do not have the energy or motivation to make up bad reviews. Invest a few minutes online, sifting through reviews about the facilities you are considering. If there are multiple negative reviews with similar complaints, there may be some truth behind them.

2. The Nursing Home Doesn’t Seem Clean

If the facility seems dirty, there is a good chance that caregivers and staff are also ignoring other responsibilities. Dirty facilities can also breed disease and infection, which can be deadly for residents with weakened immune systems.

3. Assisted Living Facility Staff Seems Uninformed

Nursing assistants and charge nurses should be able to answer any questions you have about procedures, daily programs, and treatments. An inability to do so could be a signal of inadequate training.

4. Long-Term Care Facility Residents Appear Unkempt

If the residents have messy hair, dirty clothes, or generally appear unkempt, they may not be getting the assistance they need.

5. Strong Odors in the Nursing Home

If you smell urine, feces, or other odors in the facility, residents may not be receiving sufficient hygienic care.

6. The Nursing Home Doesn’t Have Outdoor Activities

Residents shouldn’t feel like they are being imprisoned and should have the right to spend as much time outdoors as they would like. If the facility lacks outdoor sitting areas or activities, caregivers and staff may be isolating residents indoors.

7. Assisted Living Residents Do Not Have Privacy

We all deserve some sense of privacy, and if the facility’s rooms do not offer a safe or lockbox to protect residents’ property, they could become victims of theft or financial abuse.

8. Nursing Home Staff Speaks Negatively about Residents

Caregivers talking down to residents could signify that residents may suffer from verbal abuse when visitors are not around.

9. Poor Long-Term Care Facility Food Quality

Long-term care facility staff are responsible for providing healthy and nutritious meals to the residents who live under their care. Nursing home residents who are served poor quality meals may lose weight from not wanting to eat the food they are served.

10. Confused or Aggravated Nursing Home Residents

Aggravation, confusion, disorientation, anxiety, and depression are all symptoms of abuse and neglect. If you notice these behaviors from residents, they could be suffering.

11. Understaffed Assisted Living Facility

When long-term care facilities are not sufficiently staffed, caregivers cannot provide the level of care each resident requires. Workers of understaffed nursing homes also tend to be stressed, and this frustration could be turned onto residents.

12. Injured Nursing Home Residents

Although some nursing home injuries are genuine accidents, some may stem from physical abuse or neglect. If you notice unexplained bruising, bedsores, or broken bones, it could mean elder abuse is regularly occurring.

Has Your Loved One Suffered Abuse or Neglect in a New York Nursing Home?

If you suspect an older person you love has been abused or neglected in a New York assisted living facility or nursing home, you may have the right to take legal action on their behalf.

As one of New York’s most experienced and successful personal injury and nursing home abuse law firms, Dalli & Marino, LLP lawyers are equipped to help you stop elder abuse and hold assisted living facilities accountable for their actions. To speak with a Dalli & Marino, LLP attorney, call us at (888) 465-8790 or complete our contact form to set up a free consultation today.


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