Stains, surfaces coated in dust, and messes that should have been cleaned up hours ago are signs that a nursing home doesn’t maintain sanitary facility conditions or provide options for proper hygiene for their residents. Your loved one deserves to live in conditions that do not negatively affect their health. You can seek justice for them. Welsh & Welsh is a law firm dedicated to helping people in Nebraska who have been victims of negligence. We’ll fight for your loved one’s rights no matter what.
One of the most telltale signs that a nursing home staff isn’t doing its job correctly is if residents are suffering from signs of poor nutrition and/or poor hygiene. Proper hygiene is a basic requirement that all skilled nursing facilities are capable of and have a duty to meet. If your loved one is not getting they care they need and suffers from poor hygiene, you may have legal options. Keep reading to find out those options as well as more details about the effects of reduced hygiene.
Poor Living Conditions
Nursing homes are supposed to help maintain your loved one’s health or improve it. Your loved one should be able to thrive in their facility. When nursing homes fail to keep up with basic everyday tasks like cleaning or personal hygiene, your loved one’s health may rapidly decline.
Residents may require help with taking care of their teeth, brushing their hair, using the restroom, bathing, and getting dressed. Without adequate care, they won’t be able to keep up with these tasks. Living in soiled conditions or having inadequate hygiene assistance can lead to health issues. Dental problems can develop quickly. Hair can get matted and unmanageable. It’s a low quality of life and will not allow your loved one to feel their best physically or emotionally.
Risk of Spreading Illness and Infection
Maintaining hygiene in nursing homes includes regularly cleaning common areas, as well as residents’ rooms. When this kind of cleaning is ignored, it will be much easier for illnesses and infections to spread. In a nursing home that has communal areas or bedrooms with more than one occupant, an uncleanly environment can be a breeding ground for bacteria. During the winter where illnesses like the flu, bronchitis, or pneumonia are more common, nursing homes should be taking every measure to keep the environment sanitized.
While these illnesses would mean a few days of rest and maybe a visit to the doctor for most people, they can be deadly to seniors. Many senior citizens have compromised immune systems that make it difficult to fight off infection or illness. If a resident contracts pneumonia, it could be about six to eight weeks until they’ve recovered.
Nursing homes need to do more than uphold their cleanliness. They also need to keep their residents from developing other kinds of infections like bedsores. Elders who are in a wheelchair or their bed for many hours of the day need to be adjusted or moved from time to time so they don’t develop these injuries.
Your loved one deserves to live in a clean, safe environment that reduces the risk of illness, infection, and injury. Homes that fail to do so are putting your loved one’s life at stake and need to be held accountable for their actions.
Poor Hygiene Can Cause Psychological Issues
A sense of independence and self-esteem is essential to a senior’s health. When they aren’t able to take care of themselves, a part of that independence can be lost. But when nurses make sure they’re cared for with dignity and respect, they can still maintain their self-esteem. Neglectful nursing homes could mean seniors are stuck in old clothes, old bedsheets, and are aware their personal hygiene routine is lacking.
When this happens, seniors may develop psychological issues like depression. Their condition will keep them down and unhappy. A nursing home that isn’t able to take care of its residents’ health probably isn’t providing the best social aspect of senior living that can help seniors maintain friendships and regularly communicate with others their own age. Being stuck in a room without any kind of social interaction is isolating and can also lead to depression.
While depression in elders is treatable, it also brings its own set of health concerns. Depression can increase the risk of cardiac arrest, which coan be fatal. If you believe your loved one passed away because of negligent care, our Omaha wrongful death lawyers can look into your case.
Let Welsh & Welsh Help Your Loved One Today
Your loved one has rights and we’re here to defend them. Discovering that a loved one has been abused or neglected is terrible, but you can get legal aid. An Omaha nursing home abuse lawyer from Welsh & Welsh will do everything to make sure your loved one is compensated for what they’ve gone through.
Get peace of mind that professionals are looking out for your loved one’s wellbeing. Please get in touch with us today to discuss the merits of your case in a free consultation.
