The Less-Wrinkled Faces May Be Younger In The Nursing Home, But Still Require Care
Most people associate elderly folks with nursing homes. After all, more than 99% of nursing home patients are over 65. Younger people are an ever increasing group that continues to expand dramatically every year.
The Washington Post had an article “More young people are winding up in nursing homes” which detailed some of the issues encountered by young people living in an environment that was likely never intended to serve them.
Traumatic injuries, such as auto accidents or shootings, continue to be the major reason why young people find themselves living in nursing homes. The Post article detailed several nursing home patients in their twenties and how both the individual and facility need to make accommodations to improve physical and psychological well-being.
In fact, many of the younger nursing home patients require more assistance that their peers due to the fact that many of them are paraplegic or quadriplegic. As a personal injury lawyer who has represented children and young-adults in nursing homes and other medical facilities, I tend to see some staff wrongfully assume that many of these patients are able to care for themselves.
The fact remains that while nursing homes can and should make all reasonable accommodations to improve the happiness of the younger patients, they can not forget the real reason they are at the facility is because they require medical attention.
Regardless of their age, all people with compromised mobility are at very much at the mercy of the facility staff to properly care for them. When staff fail to recognize the potential problems encountered by these people, the risk of injury remains high. Staff need to remember that even the younger--- and healthier looking patients need to be tended to in order to avoid:
- Medical complications
- Circulatory problems
- Bed sores or pressure sores
- Falls
- Clogged breathing and feeding tubes
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers understands the physical and psychological needs of the younger patients and remains committed to their safety.
Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entries:
Children In Nursing Homes: Truly The Most Vulnerable
Sexual Abuse Of Children By Caregivers: A Varied & Widely Unknown Impact
Child Injury Laws: Nursing Home Abuse: The Deaths Of 13 Children Linked To Poor Care At Chicago Nursing Home
Watchdog Group Confirms Trouble At Chicago Nursing Home Caring For Disabled Children
Comments (1)
Read through and enter the discussion by using the form at the endkris - January 18, 2011 10:47 AM
A friend of mine went through something horable with a nursing home. Her husband was involved in a an accident that left him on a vent in a nursing home. The staff there was aweful! Because her husband was not only younger but also on a vent and unable to communicate, the staff there neglected him every chance they could.
When his family was unable to be there, they did nothing for him. When the family was there, they had to ask multiple times for the staff's help. The staff there would not bathe him, shave him, or even clean out the vent that he was on which eventually is what killed him. Because the vent was not properly leaned out he got pnuemonia and basically sufficated to death.
There is a company out there now thats called My Extended Family. The make sure that your loved one is getting the care they deserve. They work closely with you, your loved one, and the facility staff to ensure the care your loved one recieves. I've heard them refered to as watchdogs. Don't let your loved one be in a nursing home without the assurance of knowing that they really are getting the care they deserve. Call My Extended Family at 469-579-8563. I wish they were around for my friend.