A new nursing home report indicates that Minnesota facilities are failing to appropriately protect their residents. As explained in the nursing home report, many of the facilities fall short on expectations of residents and family members themselves.
A Minnesota state agency that was tasked with completing the nursing home report identified that nursing home neglect and abuse are rampant and that many of these facilities are failing to do their most basic jobs. When nursing home staff are not providing adequate care, there are government agencies who may step in to ensure compliance and analyze problems.
The Minnesota agency responsible for generating the nursing home report identified that problems including complex state laws, poor management and lack of resources left the most vulnerable citizens in the state likely to suffer severe injuries or even neglect.
An investigative series completed by an area newspaper identified that more than 25,000 complaints had been filed by nursing home residents and their family members and more than 2,000 of those claims of mental and physical abuse in nursing homes were never even investigated in 2016.
In 2017, the nursing home report identified that the nursing home abuse and neglect statistics were not much better. More than 24,000 allegation reports of problems in nursing homes represented an increase of more than 50 percent of complaints from five years prior.
On-site investigations were only completed in five percent of those cases. Investigators identified that the agency responsible for evaluating complaints made by nursing home residents and their family members had an ineffective case management system due to poor resource allocation and lost files.
Many of the staff working for that agency have low confidence in the leadership abilities of those at the top. The nursing home report also identified that that office failed to warn family members or vulnerable adults about suspected mistreatment based on past complaints lodged against those nursing homes.
The healthcare facilities were deemed to have been protected by a law designed to keep those who came forward with complaints of mistreatment anonymous.
Nursing home neglect and abuse complaints have risen dramatically in recent years across the country. This is particularly important in light of the fact that the United States has a prominent aging population.
Complaints of sexual abuse, neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse and more on the part of staff members and residents have been primary concerns for those who argue they have been victims of nursing home abuse.
Many of the staff members working at these nursing homes are overworked and underpaid, according to interviews completed with those workers.
This has prompted many of them to feel overwhelmed in their jobs and to fail to carry out the most basic care opportunities they should be responsible for.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of nursing home abuse, contact the attorneys at McDonald Worley today. Fill out the form on this page to learn more.