July 9, 2024 | Nursing Home Abuse
In South Carolina’s nursing homes, many residents suffer falls, neglect, and even abuse. The toll this takes on residents can range from minor injuries to death. South Carolina has a Resident’s Bill of Rights that requires nursing homes to treat residents with dignity and respect and protect them from harm. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Complaints about nursing homes include abuse, neglect, and improper medication. They may regard theft, lack of privacy, and room assignments. But some complaints are more common than others, and they may not be what you think.
Slow Response Times
One of the major complaints residents of nursing homes have is the long delay between when they call for help and when the employee actually arrives. A resident may press a call button and wait a long time before receiving the help they need.
It’s not just the delay alone that residents complain about; it’s the consequences of the delay. For example, a resident may need to get out of bed or turn over in bed. The delay in responding could result in bed sores or hygiene issues. A resident could fall trying to get up by themselves. Another resident may need to be taken back to their room after a meal. The slow response could result in anxiety and a loss of dignity.
Most residents depend on the assistance of a nursing home employee for their daily needs. The lack of response may be due to understaffing or neglect or both. Whatever the reasons, it undermines a resident’s mental and physical health and sense of well-being.
Inadequate Social Interaction
Many nursing home residents feel isolated just by being in a facility. Social isolation and loneliness are common. This can be compounded by the inability of overburdened employees to offer the kind of compassionate care and time the resident needs. These overworked employees cannot provide the social interaction residents formerly had with family and friends.
A nursing home in South Carolina is required to offer meaningful recreational activities for residents. However, some people complain that the facilities don’t provide stimulating social interaction for residents.
Again, this may be due to short staffing or lack of training in the nursing home. Whatever the reason, it leaves residents feeling isolated, which can lead to loneliness, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, aggressive behaviors, and impulsivity.
Poor Food Quality
Nursing home residents have a right to healthful meals that respect their dietary restrictions. They are entirely dependent on the facility to provide them with meals that meet their individual nutritional needs. While providing for the variety of needs that residents have can be challenging, it is still a patient’s right.
Residents complain that the meals lack proper nutrients and vitamins, are not fresh, do not have fruits and vegetables, have little or no taste, and fail to meet their particular dietary needs and restrictions.
The lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, vitamins, and nutrients can be devastating to a nursing home resident. Improper nutrition can lead to such health issues as heart problems, dehydration, diabetes, and malnutrition.
Contact a South Carolina Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer If You Need Legal Assistance
A nursing home should feel like a home and not an institution where a resident’s dignity, health, and social needs are ignored. Many residents express concern over long response times, a lack of social interaction, and unhealthful food. If you or a loved one suffered because of improper treatment at a South Carolina nursing home, call us for a free consultation.