Why Are So Many Nursing Home Residents Neglected?

A report published by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulators in July 2018 showed that there are inherent problems with nursing homes in the United States. One of the most glaring inadequacies had to do with staffing. Many facilities that were studied didn’t have an adequate staff-to-resident ratio in place. This puts many residents at risk falling ill, getting hurt or losing their lives.

One of the facilities that the regulators studied had a 2-to-1 staff-to-resident ratio when it was fully staffed. This was an anomaly though. Many facilities that the federal agency studied had persistent staffing fluctuations. Staff was most notably absent on weekends.

These staffing shortages caused many residents’ needs to unanswered. A resident at one nursing home facility that regulators visited walked the halls at his facility looking for someone to aid him in putting on a shirt.

Other residents found themselves having to wait for nursing aides to make their rounds to go to the bathroom or to receive a meal or pain medication. It’s common for residents to develop bedsores because they’re not repositioned often enough. This frequently results in their hospitalization.

CMS estimates show that at least 1.4 million Americans are being cared for in nursing homes here in New Mexico and across this country. Data compiled by the Nursing Home Compare website shows that many facilities are operating on anywhere from a 1-to-8 or a 1-to-18 staff-to-resident ratio.

This is too large of a caseload for any one worker to handle. This is especially the case if residents have significant needs. This means that you’re loved one isn’t likely getting the care and attention that they need. An attorney can advise you of whether your loved one’s living situation rises to the level of negligence, and if so, let you know how you can best go about holding their Albuquerque facility accountable for their actions.

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