Are elderly people neglected in hospitals and nursing homes?

Question

I would appreciate your views and experiences please.

Answer 1

Sadly, yes. I have never witnessed it in a hospital, but nursing homes--yikes!! When I was a nursing student doing my geriatric clinicals, I had to go to a nursing home 2X a week for 6 wks. One of my first times there, I entered a wrong room and came across a room with a lady who was suffering the worst case of MS I have ever seen. She was paralyzed from neck down, she had feeling, but could not move. She was obese and was covered only by a sheet because I guess the staff was too lazy to change her into clothes. She asked me to brush her teeth, they were really gross. I wasn't supposed to be in there, but I thought I wouldn't be able to stand it if my teeth were like that, so I did. I had to load the brush with paste 3x. She kept telling me to brush them good and hard, and wanted her palate and tongue brushed too. Her breath could have dropped a horse and I managed to smile while helping her and tried my best not to inhale. When I was done, I asked how long it had been since someone brushed her teeth and she said about a month. I was outraged that she was there in that condition. I asked about her family and she said they dont come around anymore and I wouldnt want them to see me like this anyway. Her food was often very cold by the time someone would get in to feed her and the only thing she could do was pray that someone would come in her room--no tv, paralyzed, and neglected by staff. I reported the home to my instructor who notified the state, but I'm not sure what ever came of this, but as for the rest of my time there, I always made sure to go by and visit with her and brush her teeth and feed her her lunch. Every time I encounter a pt, I always think of them as somebody's sister, mom, daughter, dad, etc and think how I would want my own family to be treated.

Answer 2

Yes , they are definitely neglected in nursing homes. I used to work in one and my mom was in one twice. I really don't think that it's on purpose though. Mostly I think it's that the places are all short staffed. And you do just get some lazy nurses, too. A lot of the time the elderly are too sick or so far gone that they can't communicate to the nurses as to what they really want or need. Some of them get labeled as complainers just for that very reason and they get ignored. The same in hospitals too. The worst thing of all is when they are in a facility and their families kind of wash their hands of them and don't go visit them because they think that they are all set being in a facility. I hope I never get to be that old.

Answer 3

I think that the homes believe that they are doing their best however I do not believe that all homes are good. Elderly people have such great knowledge and experience that they should be cherished as they are in other parts of the world. Our whole attitude to age in this country needs to change. The elderly woman in the bed next to me in hospital fell out of her bed in the middle of the night with a sickening thud. The nurses put her back into her bed, she was not examined by a doctor or Xrayed. Two days later she was covered in severe bruises. Her meals were just put in front of her and she was so frail that if the other ladies in the room and myself had not helped her the meals would have gone away untouched. The staff were unable to give her the extra attention she obviously needed they did not have the time or the inclination. My own Father was unable to lie flat because of problems breathing every time we visited we found him lying almost flat again and we had to sit him back up we complained but no-one seemed to care.
Obviously when you get past a certain age in the UK you are surplus to requirements.

Answer 4

Yes, sometimes in certain situations; I think they are neglected and abused! Shame on the people who does this for to them and treats them like that! Are we all not people? This is someone's mom or dad, Grandpa or Grandma, Sister or Brother that is getting the most cruel treatment.I can get annoyed from some of the elderly who come in Whataburger but it is no where near even close to what they sometimes endure at the nursing homes and hospitals!!!!!!!! I ask the people responsible, Is this the way you want people to treat you when you're old, can hardly walk, use the bathroom or talk!?!?!I would HATE to be going through so much pain, misery,neglect,and embarrassment for the expense of someone else. I'm sorry to say but it'll come back to them somehow though they don't realize it!When I'm old, I hope to never get treated like this. I don't care if I have to die alone in my home with my husband but please don't let me die or go throught that!

Answer 5

Not in all I have been in some that are extremely clean and the residents well cared for, I have a friend who works in a nursing home that the director makes like home to the residents and if anyone is found guilty of mistreating or neglecting a patient they get the boot, I have also had the unfortunate experience of being in some horrible ones the first one we had to put my grandfather in was horrible the area they showed us was very nice but when we went back to visit they had moved him without notifying us and it was disgusting, my dad had him moved the next day and reported the facility to the authorities.

So if you are asking because you need to place someone be very cautious and check it out throughly

Answer 6

Worked in nursing home for 11 yrs I love it its hard work and sometimes heart breaking. I think hospitals don't have the time or the resources to care for the elderly adequately but on the whole nursing homes do a fab job. We would never tolerate abuse of any kind. Its just a shame the only publicity about nursing homes is bad. No one ever makes a documentary about those of us who truly care about our residents or extended family as we call them.

Answer 7

I would say that in general no they are not, however there are obviously exceptions where they are. My great grandmother was in a nursing home and she loved it. She said all the nurses where like family to her. Of course before she was placed there my grand parents vetted the place thoroughly, they visited it several times without an appointment, spoke to staff, ex staff and other residents and thier families. I also believe hospitals in the Uk get bad press, ive stayed in hospital as has my daughter and the treatment and care we recieved could not of been better. Again you hear horror stories but i really think that as a majority hospitals/nursing homes provide a very good high standard of care considering they are overworked and underpaid.

Answer 8

Yes, I have seen the way some were treated in the Nursing Homes with Neglect, Violence and Abuse.

In One Nursing Home up the Road from me the Owners were sent to Prison with Sentences rangeing from 8 to 3 Years

Answer 9

I used to work as a CNA in a nursing home. I think they often are neglected, but not out of malice. There are just so many patients and not enough CNA's. Nursing homes don't staff properly and as one person you can only do so much, you can only be in one place at one time. It was difficult for me and often heartbreaking because I wanted to spend that extra time with my patients, but I also had the pressure of knowing that there were other people who needed me. I think families need to think long and hard before placing their loved one in a nursing home.

Answer 10

Don't ask. Go to one. Then pray your parents never have to be in one, especially in the state of NY, with our new Governor Elliot Spitzer. Worthless as attorney general, even more worthless now. Can't even begin to tell you --what- over 35 nursing homes have closed already? Where are these people going if they have no relatives? Actually, if they had relatives, they wouldn't be there to begin with. (94-year-old-people are doing radio commercials because they have nowhere to go because this schmuck is shutting down the only home they've known for years. DO NOT ever have parents in need in NY State. You'll pay your taxes and literally get sh$it in return, and your parents, after years of hard work and paying taxes wind up on welfare.