Articles Posted in Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

Many of today’s seniors may be interested in knowing the many ways smart home systems can benefit their lives. Adapting smart home technology provides added convenience, health benefits, and effective vehicles for alleviating social isolation that is common among seniors.

Benefits of Technology for Seniors

Advances in smart technology can provide a safe home environment for seniors willing to adopt the latest systems and devices. From increased home security to improved healthcare monitoring, smart home technology offers a wide range of benefits to seniors, including:

Moving nursing homes can be a difficult challenge for anyone, whether you’re a dependent or independent senior, or you’re attempting to help a friend or family member move facilities. Despite the fact that a nursing home could mean improved facilities, closer distances to family, and enhanced levels of onsite care, the move itself can certainly take a toll.

Understandably, relocation stress syndrome — recognized by professional diagnosis as the appearance of anxiety, confusion, loneliness, and other symptoms during a move — is especially prevalent in older adults transitioning from one nursing home to another. The syndrome, also known as Transfer Trauma, can cause unwelcome reactions.

There are several ways that family members can help their loved ones appropriately manage thoughts and feelings before, during and after a move from a nursing home.

The closing of a nursing home facility can be traumatic or challenging for residents. If you or a loved one is a resident of a retirement community or assisted living facility, you may wonder what happens if a nursing home gets shut down.

Nursing home administrators must notify the state and supply a closure plan before delivering written notice to residents and their guardians. The closing facility is obligated to provide the same quality of care and services until a suitable new home is found for its residents. However, in these unique circumstances, it is often left to you and your family to facilitate a move to another location that meets your needs and best interests.

Why Do Nursing Homes Close?

Choosing to move a loved one to a nursing home can be challenging both emotionally and practically. You want to be sure that your parent or relative receives personalized care, lives in a safe and engaging environment, and has their needs met adequately and in a timely fashion.

Finding an ideal place is not easy, especially considering how common nursing home neglect is. However, there are specific variables to consider when assessing the quality and trustworthiness of these facilities. Here is a closer look at what you need to consider.

What to Look For in a Nursing Home Facility

The United States population is aging rapidly, and cases of ageism are more common throughout the nation. Americans are living and remaining in the workforce longer than ever before. A quarter of all U.S. employees will be 55 years or older by 2024, presenting age discrimination risks to workers and the businesses that hire them.

Ageism involves the unfair treatment of someone because of their age. Acts of ageism can be found in all types of work environments.

A 2019 Hiscox study on ageism in the workplace found that age-related discrimination cases filed by workers 65 years old and older doubled from 1990 to 2017. The authors of the study published some revealing statistics about how often ageism occurs and its devastating effect on workers:

Patients in need of care aren’t always the most capable of being active participants in their care plan. They may be too young, or dealing with age-related issues like dementia, or even in too much pain to listen carefully, catch mistakes, or answer critical questions about their needs and wishes.

A medical advocate can ensure a patient receives adequate care, help doctors and other caregivers understand that person’s medical history and risk factors, or even help catch medical mistakes or signs of abuse.

1. Ask Questions

Digital abuse is an especially insidious form of abuse that is becoming more common. It can be subtle and difficult to identify. Essentially, digital abuse is any form of stalking, harassment, intimidation, bullying, or exertion of control that happens in cyberspace. It may also occur alongside incidents of financial, sexual, or domestic abuse.

Abusers can technically use any internet-connected device to carry out digital abuse, including a phone, computer, or smart devices in your home. One prevalent form of digital abuse is cyberbullying, which is most common among teenagers and young adults. Over 50% of teens have experienced cyberbullying in some form.

Another group that can be vulnerable to digital abuse is seniors. Senior citizens may have problems navigating the digital world, and unscrupulous individuals may use that to their advantage. This is especially pertinent because teaching seniors to use smartphones can help improve their quality of life.

A nutrient deficiency means your body lacks one or more micronutrients. Some nutrient deficiencies can have severe symptoms and limit your ability to accomplish daily tasks. Surprisingly, these deficiencies are extremely common, even in developed countries. Pregnant women, children, and seniors are especially prone to nutrient deficiencies. This article dives into these nutrients and answers everything you need to know about the ten most common nutrient deficiencies.

1. Iron

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide and is one of the leading factors contributing to the global burden of disease. Iron deficiency can also lead to anemia, a blood condition that results in fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and low immune support.

Whether you are planning ahead for retirement or looking for care for an aging parent, the cost associated with nursing home care is certainly something that will cross your mind. It’s important to take a moment to break down nursing home costs, with an aim to help you understand projected expenses for proper preparation.

Average Nursing Home Costs

Nursing homes may provide both private and semi-private rooms. The average nursing home cost for a private room, according to Genworth’s 2020 cost of care study, is $105,852 annually and $8,821 monthly. If you’re looking to pay for a semi-private room, it will cost you an average of $93,072 annually and $7,756 monthly.

There are many reasons that people seek alternatives to nursing homes for their senior parents or loved ones, including the cost of services or the fact that your loved one might need more specialized, individual care that a nursing home cannot provide. Additionally, it’s important to note that cases of negligence in nursing homes are unfortunately not uncommon.

Finding a safe, comfortable environment with adequate care and clear protections for your aging family members can be challenging. Other options for senior care could include any of the following explored further below.

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