Understaffing is A Major Cause of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Written by Adam Peck Category: Elder Law January 26th, 2013 2 min read

People are paying a bundle to keep a loved one in a nursing home these days. The average cost of an annual stay at a facility is $71,000 for a private room in the United States. What is appalling is that this estimate doesn’t reflect the care and attention that patients deserve when submitted to these facilities. One of the reasons for this rise in substandard care is understaffing. And Facilities that are understaffed usually have patients that suffer from nursing home abuse and neglect.

The majority of homes in the US are for-profit enterprises, usually operating with too few staff assigned to too many patients. The Department of Health and Human Services estimate that over 90 percent of nursing homes operating in the United States do not have enough staff to provide proper care. Staff also tends to be overworked and underpaid, which leads to a high turnover rate at most facilities. Replacement rates at some nursing homes approach 100 percent annually. With new staff coming and going, it is easy to see how a patient’s particular needs might not receive the special care that they deserve.

Over several decades, many many states have tried to pass legislation to force the nursing home industry to provide better care. Unfortunately for victims of abuse and neglect, legislators are not trying hard enough. Ultimately it is up to the families and friends of the patient to bring about real change. One step you can take to prevent abuse is visiting your loved one often. If a patient doesn’t receive a lot of visitors, staff forgets that the patients are real people. Another step you can take if you suspect abuse is to talk to The Peck Law Group Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyers.

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.