Nursing Home Negligence: The Plight Of Society's Most Vulnerable Members

By Sharron Cantu


Elderly people sometimes require extensive care. As they become frail or otherwise unable to take care of themselves, this responsibility comes to rest on their immediate family. However, if relatives are not able to meet it, they may make use of a residential institution to do so, and that is when Nursing Home Negligence becomes a possibility.

The choice of a residential home is not only due to familial antipathy or coldheartedness. The family may not be able to accommodate a person suffering from the effects of aging, such as the inability to manage an ordinary lifestyle. Their professional demands and/or home environment may make proper care for the older relative impossible. Also, the outward behavior of a person suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia is not easy to handle and may prompt the decision to use a residential institution.

Placing a loved in the custody of strangers, even on a paid basis, is therefore traumatic. It is true that some elderly people are abandoned in homes, but no matter the reason for their presence there, they are vulnerable to poor treatment or petty crime.

Nursing homes are sometimes associated with the latter, particularly the theft of private property or presents left by visiting relatives. Residents who for physical or mental reasons struggle to perform basic daily tasks pertaining to hygiene or nutrition are particularly at risk. They may also be unable to raise their concerns.

Staff morale in nursing institutions may not be high, due to the deteriorated or terminal condition of the patients. It takes a very patient, professional person to care for older or disabled people. There may also be the belief that the elderly are past their expiry date or of no significance in society, making the violation of their rights less serious. There are residents who never receive visitors. Others are treated harshly or told to stay silent by staff. Physically, residents are not able to retaliate, making them easier to abuse.

Broader society seldom casts an eye in the direction of the elderly. This makes negligence more difficult to highlight. The latter are not employed and they do not attend social functions, so they are not seen or heard. They have no access to private transport, and they may be so physically disabled that they cannot go anywhere independently. It is risky for them to leave the home.

The debilitating condition in which the neglected person exists is an offense to society at large. The elderly are supposed to be treated with respect at all times. The impairment of their dignity through neglect or abuse is therefore recognized as a crime by the legal system of California, and affected families in the city of Hammond LA, who may not initially be aware of such abuse, have recourse to liability damages.

Older people are important members of the community, and they have a vast store of wisdom and experience to pass on to succeeding generations. They should therefore be accorded special status. Their care and accommodation is a primary responsibility in society and should not be neglected at any time.




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