Red Flags to Watch Out for When Choosing a Nursing Home for Your Loved One | Spring Hill Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Whittel & Melton

January 18, 2022

When you make the decision to place a loved one in the care of a nursing home, you want to be sure that the facility you have selected is providing quality care to their residents. The sad truth is that many nursing homes have staff that will neglect or abuse vulnerable residents left in their care. Our Hernando County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at Whittel & Melton want you to keep your eyes open to any of the red flags explained below when you are visiting nursing homes and making your selection. We can help you and your family when a loved one in a nursing home Spring Hill or Brooksville is being mistreated.

1. Staff Cannot Answer Your Questions: When you are shopping around for a nursing home, it is an excellent idea to have a list of questions ready for the staff. If they cannot answer your questions, or seem reluctant to answer, then this is a definite red flag. On that some note, if you have a loved one in a nursing home already and have concerns about bedsores, weight loss, or sudden behavioral changes, then this could be a warning sign that your loved one is being mistreated.
2. Staff is Overwhelmed: If staff members appear to be rushing around and overwhelmed, then this is another red flag. This can mean a facility is understaffed or that their staff is not properly trained to care for their residents. Staff that is chaotic and frenzied can also mean that they lack proper leadership, and that administration is not touching base with staff about patient care.
3. Turnover Rates are High: This often means that the nursing home does not have adequate staff or perhaps untrained staff. If when you visit your loved one you notice new faces, then this could mean the facility has high staff turnover, which is a big red flag that something is amiss.
4. Staff Interactions with Residents are Concerning: If you notice a staff member yelling at or treating a resident unkindly, then this is a huge red flag that something bad is happening. If they are treating a resident badly, then this means that they could do the same to your loved one. Similarly, if you notice call lights on for lengthy periods of time or if your loved one says that they do not want to be cared for by a specific staff member, then this is definitely a warning sign for abuse or neglect.

Contact Our Hernando County Nursing Home Abuse and Negligence Attorneys at Whittel & Melton

Trust your gut. If you feel like something is wrong, then it probably is. If you pick up on any warning signs when visiting your loved one at a nursing home, then ask to speak with administration so that an investigation can be launched right away. You want your love done to be safe and we can help you hold nursing homes accountable for any harm they have caused your loved ones.

We encourage you to call us now at 352-666-2121or contact us online for a free consultation so that you can learn more about how we handle cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. You will pay us nothing unless we are able to recover financial compensation on your behalf.