It’s easy to list out the positive qualities that you want in a nursing home when trying to find one for your parents. For instance, maybe you want a place that has great socialization opportunities so that they don’t feel lonely, and you want a place close to your own house so that you can come and visit.
However, when considering neglect and abuse, you really want to think about the negative qualities. How can you tell if you have walked into a poor nursing home that it is really best to avoid? A few things to watch out for include:
- The turnover rates at the home, among the staff, are really high. This could mean that it is not a good environment and that most of the staff is not well-trained.
- The nursing home seems to be understaffed. One of the biggest reasons for stress and neglect is when there just are not enough workers at one time.
- The nursing home has been cited for repeated violations in the past. They may claim that they’ve changed, but you can’t overlook a bad track record.
- The staff does not seem friendly with the residents. They may technically be there to help them, but they just do not seem to care.
The biggest advice people often give is to trust your gut. You may feel that something is wrong but have no idea what. That’s all right. Don’t pick that nursing home. Even if you never figure out why, go somewhere else.
That said, if your loved one is neglected or abuse, you need to know what options you have.