Have not experienced abuse...However, I have discovered that staff appears to promote use of drugs to calm patients and make them more manageable.. Question every drug that your parent is prescribed and ask how long they need to take it and why !! You will be surprised at the answers.

I have saw abuse in every place i have worked so far. The last place I worked was an assisted living. It seems the Assi. Livings get away with anything, because they are not watched or monitored like the nursing homes. It got so bad the last place I worked I even cried with a resident one nite, but our director and care coordinator would jump down your throat with any mention of it. They wanted their place to look spotless. There was even medications missing and when that was reported the person was fired, they made up other allegations toward the person. Oh yes, this goes on everyday, believe me, I have done cna work for a long time, Keep your eyes and ears open at the assisted livings especially, but then theres nothin you can do about it besides take your loved one home. The state does not care either, at least in the state of NC they don't.

most likely you will not get a sound answer. You have to see it in writing and then be there when they take it, very complicated situation. When your loved one is in the care of someone else it gets scary.

I have been the family member of someone living in a nursing home and I have also worked in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, retirement homes, and memory care communities for close to 23 years. It has been my experience that, as with all things, there are good homes and bad homes. I must say that most senior facilties try to do a good job of taking care of the residents.

Most states have an Ombudsman program or an Abuse Hotline. Information about that should be posted in the facility, but if not, you can look it up in the phone book under the state's department of social and health services or the equivalent. Anonymous calls can be made to the hotline and they will trigger an investigation by the state.

Be sure that what you are looking at is abuse. Often a resident will be told they have to do something for themselves as part of a therapy program and it can look pretty cold-hearted. They may be on a fluid restriction diet, so staff doesn't get them water when they ask, or they are allergic or restricted from certain kinds of food due to a medical condition. They may be asking for pain medication too close to the last dose. Residents can be forgetful and they can be manipulative. It's best to try and clarify; ask the staff if there is a medical reason the person can't have or do something. They can say say yes or no without breaching confidentiality.

Abuse and neglect are clearly defined in most state's regulations. Neglect is the failure to provide needed services, such as not helping someone to eat if they can't do it themselves or not taking them to the bathroom. Abuse can be physical (hitting, pinching, locking in a room, etc.), sexual (inappropriate touching, rape, etc.), emotional (placing in uncomfortable social settings, isolation, etc.), verbal (threatening, demeaning, swearing at, etc.) or financial (misuse of personal items, stealing money or belongings, etc.). If a resident states that they have been harmed in any of these ways, it must be investigated both by the facility and the state.

Before you place your loved on in a home, ask to look at the most recent survey (inspection) results. Talk to other residents and to family members. Look at several homes; don't go with the first one you see. Don't allow a hospital to rush you into making a choice. I advice people to shop for a home BEFORE you need one, so you aren't looking when it is a crisis. Most homes will be happy to have you and the prospective resident join them for lunch or dinner and in some of the planned activities. Most have respite programs where you can stay for 3 to 30 days. This is a great program as it provides caregivers with a break as well as lets the resident 'test the waters' and ease into moving into a care setting. And if you have moved in already and feel that it was a poor choice, don't hesitate to give notice and move to another community - you are the consumer, not a prisoner!

Michael A. Bower, BA. ACC, Life Enrichment Consultant

I hope this helps any current or future senior care residents.

I would like to know what state you work in. Here in NC the state helps the facilities cover up their lack of care, medications missing and so fourth. There is no one that will investigate here because apparently they are either all paid off or just don't care. Been thru this, called state, labor board, state again, attourney general, state again...........was never investigated that a person almost died due to this med missing deal, the hospital or md was never questioned. She was in the hospital for over 2 weeks because of this, there were many more also and was never reported due to the fact the over head staff would jump down your throat at the mention of any mistakes. Maybe there are good ones, i am still searching after 3. But thanks, you did give me hope. CNA

I live in Washington State, but I know that standards are high in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Idaho as well. I am sorry to hear that you have had such difficulty.

My husband is an alzheimers victim currently resdiing in a nursing home;  On May 19th he fell and broke his hip and was allowed to be in pain until the 23rd when someone sent him to the hospital because of his complaining.  Up to that time they were telling me that there was nothing wrong;  that he is just a complainer;  that he just wants to go home;  on and on ad infinatem.  I contacted fourteen govenment agencies and no one seems to think that a crime has been committed.  This is his second broken bone in 18 months. There stock answer is everyone is short handed;  accidents happen.

Ombusman Program does absolutely nothing as they claim they are underpaid and over worked.

I am a cna, altho they really ARE understaffed and well underpaid, the caring must continue. The problem is where I worked the director and care coordinator would not ALLOW you to report things. When you did they over looked it, and when you complained again and reported bad practices they fire you. That is exactly what happened to me. It is not the cna's fault, believe me, the whole cna staff (most of them) DID care, we just are not given any athority to help people. They want the money, thats it , plain and simple..............money, money, money. They don't want caring cna's because they want to commit medicade fraud, steal meds and what ever else the over head does. I am not just saying this, it's true. I cared and I tried, and I definitely made a difference to the residents, but it all got me fired. The worst part is I cannot see the residents again. This is what is so sad for me, they were my friends, dear friends.

Guber, I'm so sorry this is happening! Are you able to report over THEIR heads to a state authority, perhaps?