Some Disgustiong Abuse In Nursing Home Settings
Organizations are formed for the sole purpose of providing “care” for patients—but do they truly care? In nursing homes today, there are various factors that affect the way a patient is treated--some of which result in nursing home abuse, For instance, a great many nursing homes are understaffed causing overworking of the few nurse aides who are employed there. Sometimes nursing aides are left unwatched during the night and evening shifts—they are trusted too much by the charge nurse who usually makes herself scarce and rarely checks on the nurse aides. I had a relative (an aunt) who worked in a nursing home in Southwest Virginia. She told me of an alleged nursing home abuse story that could make you spit nails. I only use the term alleged because I did not see it myself, but I do believe it. The incident is totally appalling and scary to anyone who may have a parent or close relative residing in a nursing home. Here is the story: My aunt was working the evening shift as a nursing assistant. She was going down a hallway on her rounds and heard laughter coming form one of the patient’s rooms. She walked up on four nurse’s aides standing over the bed of a blind patient—a male. They were whispering sexual remarks to he man to arouse him and encouraging him to engage in masturbation. One nurse aid (ironically one who was studying to be an RN) was doing most of the talking while the others watched and snickered and ever so often one of the other nurse aides would make a suggestive remark. They were so wrapped up in what they were doing that they could not see my aunt outside the room door. She listened for a couple of minutes and started back up the hall toward the nurse’s station. She was going to get the charge nurse so that she could see it for herself because my aunt knew that she would not be believed with her word alone against four people’s words. Before she got to the desk, the nurse aides came out of the room. The charge nurse was not at the desk anyway or perhaps she could have motioned the nurse without coming all the way to the desk. Is this incident a disgusting case of nursing home abuse to say the least! Who would even think that an incident such as the above one could happen and that so many of the nurse aides would find it amusing enough to be a party to it. Folks, there are some sick, twisted people out there. How ungodly! If you have a family member who is staying in a nursing home, you gave a dire need to visit that person often, day and night (especially during days and hours when there is likely to be less charge staff present). If the patient can speak and think fairly clearly, ask him questions about treatment from the staff—you may pick up on some suspicious happenings from what the patient says or doesn’t say. If you should get wind at all that your loved one is being abused physically, mentally, sexually, or verbally, go to a nursing home abuse attorney and let him investigate and attempt to prove your case. If you and your lawyer can produce enough evidence for a hard case against the abuser and abusing agency—sue the daylights out of them and in the meanwhile, remove your loved one from the facility. Also, after it has been proven, report your case to mass media and perhaps this nursing home will start screening their employees more closely.
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