Amber, Larche and I decided to do a group project, and at first it started it off with just going to a nursing home and talking to the residents there. But after a few phone calls and attempts, we changed our topic to show the truth of what occurs with old folks behind closed doors. You may think because the name of this institution refers to "home" in its title you will be treated like you would in your own home. But often times abuse and neglect can take place in these nursing homes and even when it doesn't one still would rather be in their own home. This connects to our unit because it presents the aspect of isolation and mistreatment that happens due to one's illness or near death.
When Beth came in she talked about how she decided to let her husband die in the comfort of their home, where she herself could watch over him and his needs instead of a stranger. Because to her the idea of hiring a nurse seemed absurd. For some it is easy to do this, to just leave our jobs for awhile and dedicate our entire time to the sick or dying loved one. Can even achieve this with a little help as well, Beth mentioned how when she took to nursing her husband, the rest of her family took care of everything else like the laundry. But for some our only choice can be send them to nursing home either us not being able to afford to take care of them ourselves or because we find our job or occupancies more important. So these elders are sent off to nursing home, where they are taken care of by a complete strangers. This is when abuse and neglect can transpire.
"Reports show nursing home abuse statistics that 30% of the facilities are cited for instances of abuse. Still, even more alarming is the nursing home abuse statistics showing that the majority of all nursing home abuse instances are never even reported. The nursing home abuse statistics include severe instances of abuse ranging from death to malnutrition and dehydration, inadequate medical care, and many other serious injuries and conditions." This quote I took from my first resource, it show the types of abuse that happens and how this percentage is not accurate because it is only percentage of cases that have been reported.
My second and fourth source shows different articles of an instances that abuse and/or neglect have occured in a nursing home. One case was in 2008, " a suit was recently filed against a nursing home in Texas after a resident was allegedly raped by one of the home’s employees. After a laundry worker was caught raping an Alzheimer’s patient at the Village Creek Nursing Home in Fort Worth, the victim’s family filed a suit against the facility."
My third source talk about how statistics, one was " It is estimated that for every one case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self neglect reported to authorities, about five more go unreported. (National Elder Abuse Incidence Study. 1998. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse at American Public Human Services Association.)"
My fifth source provides a percentage of times each type of abuse or neglect has happened.
Current Nursing Homes Abuse and Negligence Statistics
Nursing homes abuse takes many forms. The most common include:
Neglect: 58.5%
Physical abuse:15.7%
Financial exploitation: 12.3%
Emotional abuse: 7.3%
Sexual abuse: 0.4%
My last source is a chart of abuse and neglect that occured in the year 1998
"According to the National Elder Abuse Incidence Study of 1998, neglect was the most commonly reported type of abuse, followed in order by emotional abuse, financial exploitation, physical abuse, and abandonment."
All these sources show evidence that abuse and neglect to elderly does happen but unfortunately not reported. So it is hidden truth just like death. And after reading all this why would someone want to go to a nursing home. Well like I mentioned before they have no choice because our society isolates them, we send them away in homes where they are not seen and forgotten.
1) http://www.nursing-home-abuse-resource.com/care_center/nursing_home_statistics.html
2) http://www.nursing-home-abuse-resource.com/nursing_home_abuse/news.html
3) http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/ncearoot/Main_Site/pdf/publication/FinalStatistics050331.pdf
4) http://www.elderly-abuse.com/wordpress/category/studies-statistics/
5) http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/nursing_home_abuse_statistics
6)http://www.ocfs.state. ny.us/main/psa/abuse_stat.html
I think your blog post was really interesting because I never really thought about what goes on behind closed doors in nursing homes. I do feel that some nurses are used to having to deal with old, cranky patients but I only believe they are cranky because they are people too and they have emotions, so how would you feel if you never received any visitors? I liked that you also included statistical evidence to support the idea that there are certain types of neglect a patient may face in a nursing home. Even despite some of these facts why do people send their relatives to nursing homes? The answer is simple, because we would rather have a stranger take care of someone than ourselves, we have lives, we need to look after ourselves, let alone someone else. I enjoyed reading your blog
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog was very interesting. I like the part where you discussed we as a total don't know what happens behind closed doors in the nursing homes. I like that fact that you kept trying to get deeper and deeper insight on why they would allow to go there, i thought that was cool. I never knew that actually 30% of the ederly and the sick get abused so much. I find that to be very scary and hurtful towards them. Your post was nice to read and i also enjoyed the recording we heard in your elevator speech.
Michelle - I really enjoyed your presentation and use of prop in school and so I decided to come check out your blog. My favorite line from your writing was, " So these elders are sent off to nursing home, where they are taken care of by a complete strangers. This is when abuse and neglect can transpire." It poses an interesting point, we are so worried about always being around people we are familiar with but once we don't have a choice we are shipped off to strangers. We don't consider the sick or elderly to have ideas and presume this is what they would want, when in reality if we were put in their shoes I doubt any of us would agree to this lifestyle change...Good Job with the post and the presentation! :)
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