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  • Essay / An argument for improving the quality of care in a nursing home

    The quality of care in nursing homes needs to be improved. It is common for parents to age and need constant care, which is why many people decide to place their loved ones in a nursing home. a retirement home, where they can receive this attention. What many people don't realize is that they are putting their loved ones at risk when they are sent to a nursing home. Thirty percent of nursing homes in the United States have been reported for elder abuse within two years. There are different types of abuse in these places, including physical, emotional, and financial, and there are reasons for each of them, even if they are not necessarily good. The legal obligations of these establishments must be improved and respected much more significantly to work to end the abuse suffered by these elderly patients. The quality of care in retirement homes and other elderly care facilities needs to be improved because currently many elderly people are treated inhumanely in a residence where they are supposed to feel cared for. Just because they are old does not mean that they are no longer people and that everyone, regardless of their age, should be treated as they deserve legally and morally. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Although there are many different forms of abuse that occur in these facilities, the three most common are physical, emotional, and financial abuse. People are surprised how these activities can happen to their loved ones without them even realizing it. Physical abuse is the most commonly reported type of abuse in nursing homes because it is the most obvious form to notice immediately. Any form of hitting, kicking, excessive restraint, refusal of prescribed medications, or unnecessary doses of medications are all considered forms of physical abuse and all leave fairly obvious signs. These include bruises, fractures and side effects of medications. A less visible form of violence is psychological violence. The two most common types of emotional abuse are neglect and verbal abuse/assault; however, any deliberate form of causing anxiety, anguish, fear, or any other unwanted mental state is considered psychological abuse. Although the signs of psychological abuse are much less apparent than those of physical abuse, this form is certainly not less common or less heinous. Elder financial exploitation is one of the most manipulative forms of abuse that leaves no trace except a paper trail. These people are usually confused and may not really know what is going on with their finances. They have to rely on someone else to manage their mail and bank accounts and people take advantage of that. People will take advantage of older people so easily, making older people vulnerable to fraud and exploitation. The most common cases of elder financial abuse include bank account/credit card theft, scamming, and health care fraud. Often, people convince older people to buy things they do not need, including medical services (Landers, para. 2-4). It is inhumane for people to be treated this way, especially in a care facility where elderly peopleare expected to feel safe and cared for. It is completely unnecessary and unreasonable for such situations to occur. While there will never be an excuse for treating people this way, there are reasons why such instances occur. There are three main reasons: indifferent staff, forgotten family and profits. The most direct reason for the mistreatment of elderly people residing in retirement homes is the staff who are supposed to care for them on a daily basis. Many nurses working in these facilities feel that they are not adequately reimbursed for the work they do with their patients, and some decide to take out their frustrations on the patients rather than their employers. David Ruppe explains, "Reimbursements are low relative to residents' needs, and so nursing assistants, paid through these funds, can average between $7 and $9 per hour" (para. 19). This amount is much lower than the amount deserved, and this is one reason that explains the three types of abuse mentioned above. Nurses take out their frustrations physically and verbally on their patients and some feel so desperate that they steal money from their patients. This makes the nurses seem cruel in doing this, and they are certainly at fault, however, they only have the ability to treat patients in this manner when they know they will not have any visitors. Very often, an elderly family member moves into a nursing home and only sees their family sparingly or on rare occasions. These are the main targets. Patients are so easily forgotten that nurses feel like they can treat them however they want, which should not be the case. While those directly involved, including unreliable staff and absent family members, are to blame, the companies that own these facilities are ultimately responsible for the negligent way they choose to run these places. In the United States, 69% of nursing homes are run for profit. This puts money earned and saved ahead of patients residing in these facilities. If there was more security and if people actually monitored this dark behavior, it would be impossible for abuse to happen this often. If overcharging seniors and refraining from purchasing additional supplies to make them more comfortable means owners keep more money, then they will choose to do so. Nonprofit facilities often rely on fundraisers and volunteers to care for patients, which is why there are so fewer abuse problems in these places (Ruppe, para. 27). These are in no way excuses for the poor treatment of elderly people residing in nursing homes, but these are the main reasons why this happens and it is possible to stop these actions thanks to the rules that nursing homes retirement are legally expected to follow. are permitted due to the unclear wording of federal laws and regulations regarding these facilities. One law, known as the Nursing Home Reform Act, states that nursing homes "shall provide services and activities to achieve or maintain the highest possible physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident." in accordance with a written plan of care” (“Federal Nursing Home Regulations and State Laws” (FNHRSL), para. 1). This basic law is clearly being broken in nursing homes where patients are abused in any way and frankly it's a shame that people don'tdo not benefit from this basic care. There are also a number of federal regulations that nursing homes must follow and which are frequently violated by nursing staff. The first regulation stipulates that the establishment must have sufficient nursing staff. Many nursing homes have nurses responsible for too many patients. and this stresses them to the point of taking out their frustrations on their patients. If more funds were provided to these facilities, they could hire more staff and many violence problems would be solved or at least helped. If these issues were to be resolved, other regulations currently commonly violated could be followed, including one that states that nursing homes must "prevent deterioration in a resident's ability to bathe, dress, grooming, moving and moving, going to the toilet, eating. , and to communicate” (FNHRSL, par. 2). When patients are abused, they lose their ability to perform many of these tasks on their own, whether they are in physical pain or severely depressed. No one should lose their ability to take care of themselves in terms of cleanliness and communication. This is directly correlated to another regulation which affirms the dignity and respect of each patient must be maintained (FNHRSL, par. 2). There is no way an elderly person who is beaten, yelled at, or robbed can retain their dignity or respect. For example, Charles Ornstein explains in his article on social media-related nursing home abuse: “A nursing assistant was accused of taking a photo of [a nursing home resident] on the toilet and for sharing it on Snapchat” (Para. 19). This type of embarrassment would be terrible for anyone, much less an elderly person being “cared for” by these nurses. It's truly embarrassing for anyone to lose the ability to care for themselves, let alone be mistreated at the same time. This loss of dignity can lead to mental illness, including anxiety and depression. According to the American Psychological Association, these mental disorders can lead to death or suicide, especially among older adults (“Mental and Behavioral Health and Older Americans,” Para. 11). More people are dying than should be because of nurses and other things. Living conditions in nursing homes lead people to lose their dignity and, in some cases, their mental health. These federal laws and regulations seem simple to follow and simply morally correct. However, many institutions do not comply with these rules. people are treated illegally and inhumanely. Although this abuse is quite common in the United States, of course not all nursing homes and other care facilities participate in this abusive behavior. Many people tend to see the many positive aspects of nursing homes. For example, the consistent availability of care, when provided in a fair and caring manner, is very beneficial to some patients whose families simply cannot care for them as much as they should (Wood, para. 3). A big advantage of this constant care is a structured schedule that patients adapt to in these residences. Once people get older, they tend to rely on repetition and planning to help them with their memory and daily tasks that need to be completed. Having the ability to follow a strict daily schedule can benefit many patients' mental health, although patients tend not to.