It is estimated that the number of Baby Boomers in this country is almost 80 million people. Between medical advances and the focus on healthy living and exercise, the age of life expectancy continues to increase. This means that, at some point, more and more families will be faced with the decision of placing their senior loved one in a nursing home. In fact, according to national statistics, on any given morning this year, approximately 1.1 million individuals, will reside in a U.S. nursing home. This decision becomes even harder with the never-ending number of incidents we read and hear about tragic nursing home abuse and neglect cases. How does a family know that the home they have placed their loved one in will be one where their senior will receive the best quality of care from both staff and administration?
Nursing Home Rating Report
One excellent tool families can use is the Nursing Home Finder report which is published by U.S. News & World Report. The organization, which has been issuing its annual report since 2009, recently released its 2022-2023 issue. The ranking of each facility is determined using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMC) for their Nursing Home Compare program.
This year, there were over 15,000 nursing homes nationwide which the report evaluated. Of those totals, approximately 2,400 earned the organization’s Best Nursing Home designation. Using the reporting tool, a family can find highly-rated facilities by location, distance, size, and Medicare and Medicaid coverage.
A five-level rating system was used, from top performing to poor. The different factors that were rated included the type and quality of care patients received, the results of health inspections, the type of staffing the facility had, and its safety record. Facilities could only be designated a Best Nursing Home if they received a rating of at least 4.5 for the prior 10 months of federal reporting.
In Virginia, there were 288 nursing homes included in the report. Of that total, only 19 homes received a five out of five ratings.
ProPublica Report
ProPublica also put together a report on nursing homes, including those 288 in Virginia. The organization’s findings include:
- Homes with serious deficiencies – 36
- Homes with infection-related deficiencies – 255
- Amount of penalties issued – $6.22 million
Signs of Abuse
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it is critical to know what the signs of possible abuse or neglect may be. Signs to watch for include:
- Anxiety
- Bedsores
- Bruises
- Changes in behavior or personality
- Depression
- Infections or other conditions
- Poor hygiene
- Sudden changes to their will or other financial documents
It is not uncommon for an abuse victim to be afraid to let someone know they are being abused. This is often because the person abusing them has made threats that there would be repercussions if the elderly victim speaks up.
If you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected, there are steps you can take. Notify the nursing home administrator of your suspicions and then contact the Virginia Adult Protective Services. If you think your loved one is in immediate danger, call 911.
Let a Skilled Virginia Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Help
If your elderly loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact a Virginia nursing home abuse attorney to find out what legal recourse your family may have. At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, we have been aggressively advocating for victims for more than three decades and have helped many nursing home abuse victims receive compensation for their injuries, as well as hold the perpetrators who committed the abuse responsible.
Contact our office today to set up a free and confidential consultation with one of our dedicated nursing home abuse attorneys today.
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