The Legal Medicine Blog written the Dan Frith and Lauren Ellerman commented on a recent incident involving a Colorado nursing home's failure to provide assistance to a nursing home resident using the the bathroom.  Firth and Ellerman get at the meat of the issue with respect to many nursing home falls and scores of nursing home injuries--not enough nurses.

Sure shiny, pretty facilities are nice, but when evaluating facilities, the most important criteria in the selection of the facility is if the facility has enough staff.  Not just nurses, but also nurses aides, physical therapists, maintenance personnel and even cafeteria workers are all important to the providing quality patient care.  Adequate staffing provides ample manpower to properly look after nursing home residents. 

A nursing home staff member must provide assistance, not only in skilled nursing care, but also in looking after residents basic needs goes far in prevention of incidents which may harm residents and eventually cost the facility in litigation expenses.  As the Legal Medicine Blog points out you should ask to see staffing polices when selecting a nursing home and don't be shy about speaking to the residents about their experience.  If the facility will not let you speak to residents, thank them for their time and leave right away.

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