“Families turn to nursing homes to give the elderly the care and attention they need, but a congressional report out Monday says 1,600 U.S. nursing homes — nearly one-third — have been cited for abuse.” This in a report from CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker.
Some 5,283 nursing homes were cited for abuse violations, according to a review of state inspection records requested by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. These homes were cited for nearly 9,000 abuse violations from January 1999 to January 2001.
"We found examples of residents being punched, choked or kicked by staff members or other residents," Waxman said.
It was indeed a sad day when the time came around to place my mother in a nursing home. Even though the director was understanding and explained that almost everyone that was forced into sitting in her office and having the conversation we were having felt the same way. I could not help thinking about the first day of school when I cried and wailed and just wanted to go home with mother as she headed down the hallway and out to the parking lot. I know that I couldn’t hear her footfalls over my own crying, but to this day it seems somehow that I could. I still remember the look on her face clearly now some 40+ years later. I imagine my face looked a bit like that as I sat listening to the practiced monologue of the nursing home director. A mix between mind numbing guilt and stoic determination.
My mother has always been the rock of our family, even before dad passed she was the one you took your problems, any problems to first. She was the one who found shoes, and managed to always know when and what you were hungry for, many times before you did. Now the rock is crumbling around the edges and I just can’t leave her alone anymore. Mom has always been independent and has never needed to depend on others for her daily needs; she is the one everyone depended on and so I made good use of online background check services when I finally decided on a Nursing home for her.
I made it a deal breaker to get a list of the nurses and nurses aides that would be attending my mother, the management objected softly but in the end I got my way, and a good thing too. In the first attempt at being an from home detective I found 4 nurses aides with criminal records at the home, 2 had felonies, one for assault. I took this to the managers of moms home and threatened to sue if something wasn’t done. They now do intensive background checks on all employees. So if you really love your loved one, I advise you to join a background check website the cost is very affordable. My service gave me a 3 year unlimited search membership for only $29, it has proven its worth several times already. I can also use it to check license plat numbers and telephone numbers even teachers and new neighbors, anybody. It is proving to be the best 20 dollars I have ever invested.
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