The quality of care in nursing homes needs to be improved It is a common occurrence for parents to age and need constant care, so many people they decide to entrust their loved ones to a nursing home, where they can receive this attention. What many people don't realize is that they put their loved ones in greater danger when they are sent to a nursing home. Thirty percent of nursing homes in America were reported for elder abuse in a two-year period. There are different types of abuse that occur in these places, including physical, emotional, and financial, and there are reasons for all of them, even if not necessarily good ones. The legal obligations of these facilities need to be improved and followed much more significantly to work towards ending the abuse suffered by these elderly patients. The quality of care in nursing homes and other elderly care facilities needs to be improved because currently many elderly people are treated inhumanely in facilities where they should feel cared for. Just because they are elderly does not mean they are not still people and everyone, regardless of their age, should be treated as they legally and morally deserve. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While many different forms of abuse occur in these facilities, the three most common are physical, emotional, and financial abuse. It is surprising to people how these activities can happen to their loved ones without even realizing it. Physical abuse is the most frequently reported type of abuse in nursing homes because it is the most obvious to notice immediately. Any form of hitting, kicking, excessive restraint, withdrawal of prescribed medications, or unnecessary doses of medications are all considered forms of physical abuse and leave fairly obvious marks. These include bruises, broken bones, and side effects of medications. A less obvious form of abuse is emotional abuse. The two most common types of emotional abuse are neglect and verbal abuse/aggression; however, any deliberate form that causes anxiety, distress, fear, or any other undesirable mental state is considered emotional abuse. Although the signs of emotional abuse are much less obvious than those of physical abuse, this form is certainly no less frequent or repugnant. One of the most manipulative forms of abuse that leaves no mark other than a paper trail is financial elder abuse. These people are generally confused and perhaps unsure of what is happening to their finances. They have to rely on someone else to handle their mail and bank accounts, and people take advantage of that. People will thus easily take advantage of the elderly, making them vulnerable to fraud and exploitation. The most common incidents of elder financial abuse include bank account/credit card theft, scams, and healthcare fraud. People often convince the elderly to buy things they don't need, including medical services among other things (Landers, para. 2-4). It is inhumane for people to be treated this way, especially in a care facility where the elderly should feel safe and be cared for. It is completely unnecessary and unreasonable for these situations to occur. While there will never be an excuse for treating people this way, there are reasons why these cases occur. There are three main reasons: an indifferent staff, a forgotten family and profits. The most direct reason for the abuse of elderly residents in nursing homes is the staff who are supposed to care for them on a daily basis. Many of theNurses who work in these facilities feel that they are not receiving sufficient reimbursement for the work they are performing on their patients, and some decide to take their frustrations out on the patients rather than on their employer. David Ruppe explains, “Reimbursement is low compared to residents' needs, so nursing assistants, paid through these funds, can average about $7 to $9 an hour” (para. 19). This amount is much less than deserved, and this is a reason that explains the three types of abuse previously mentioned. Nurses take out their frustrations physically and verbally on their patients, and some feel so desperate that they steal money from their patients. This makes it seem like nurses are cruel people for doing this, and they are certainly guilty, however, they are only given the opportunity to treat patients this way when they know they will not be receiving visitors. Very often, an elderly family member moves into a nursing home and sees their family only sparingly or on rare occasions. These are the primary objectives. Patients are forgotten so easily that nurses feel they can treat them however they like and that shouldn't be the case. While the fault lies with those directly involved, including unreliable staff and absent family members, the companies that own these facilities are ultimately responsible for the negligent way they choose to manage these places. 69% of nursing homes in America are operated for profit. This puts the money earned and saved ahead of the patients who reside in these facilities. If there was more security and people paid attention to this dark behavior, it is impossible for abuse to occur so often. If overburdening seniors and refraining from purchasing extra supplies to make them more comfortable means owners keep more money, then they will choose to do so. Non-profit facilities often use fundraisers and volunteers to care for patients, which is why there are so few abuse problems occurring in these places (Ruppe, para. 27). These are in no way an excuse for the poor treatment of elderly residents in care homes, but they are the main reasons why this happens and it is possible to put a stop to these actions through the rules that care homes are legally supposed to follow . These types of abuse are permitted due to the non-specific wording of these facilities' federal laws and regulations. One law, known as the Nursing Home Reform Act, states that nursing homes “shall provide services and activities to achieve or maintain the greatest possible physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being for each resident in accordance with a written care plan” (“Regulations Federal Nursing Home and State Laws” (FNHRSL), par. 1). This basic law is clearly broken in nursing homes where patients are abused in any way and, frankly, it is a shame that people are not provided with this basic care. There are also a number of federal regulations that nursing homes must follow that are often violated by nursing staff. The first regulation establishes that the facility must have sufficient nursing staff. Many nursing homes have nurses responsible for too many patients and this stresses them to the point of taking out their frustrations on their patients. If there were more funds provided to these facilities, they would be able to hire more staff and many violence problems would be solved or at least assisted. If these problems were to be resolved, other currently commonly broken regulations could be followed, including one that states that nursing homes must “Prevent thedeterioration of a resident's ability to wash, dress, groom, transfer and ambulate, toilet, eat, and communicate” (FNHRSL, para. 2). When patients are abused, they lose the ability to complete many of these tasks on their own, whether they are in physical pain or severely depressed. No one should lose the ability to take care of themselves in terms of cleanliness and communication. This is directly related to another rule that establishes the dignity and respect of each patient must be maintained (FNHRSL, par. 2). There is no way that an elderly person who is beaten, scolded or robbed can maintain their dignity or respect. For example, Charles Ornstein explains in his article on social media-related nursing home abuse: “A nursing assistant was accused of taking a photo of [a nursing home resident] on the toilet and sharing it on Snapchat " (Par. 19). . This type of embarrassment would be terrible for anyone, let alone an elderly person being “treated” by these nurses. It's really embarrassing for anyone to lose the ability to care for themselves, let alone be abused at the same time. This loss of dignity can cause mental illnesses in people, commonly including anxiety and depression. According to the American Psychological Association, these mental disorders can lead to death or suicide, especially among older adults (“Mental and Behavioral Health and Older Americans,” Para. 11). More people are dying than they should because nursing and other aspects of life in care homes are leading people to lose their dignity and, in some cases, their mental health. These federal laws and regulations seem simple to follow and simply morally correct, however, many institutions do not comply with these rules, hence the elderly. people are treated illegally and inhumanely. While this abuse is quite common throughout the United States, of course, not all nursing homes and other care facilities partake in this abusive behavior. Many people tend to see the many positive aspects of nursing homes, such as constant availability. Care, when provided in a fair and caring way, is very beneficial to some patients whose family simply cannot care for them as much as they should ( Wood, par. 3). A great benefit of this consistent care is a structured schedule that patients adapt to in these residencies. Once people get older, they tend to rely on repetition and planning to assist in their memory and daily tasks that need to be completed. Having the ability to follow a strict schedule every day can be beneficial to the mental health of many patients, although patients tend not to appreciate the lack of freedom that comes from following such a tight schedule every day (Wood, para. 5). However, in properly managed care homes there is plenty of free time and social time scheduled daily. This includes games or presentations for residents. It's really important to get up and interact with other people and be active once you reach a certain age. People begin to lose their minds if they lie in bed and watch cable television all the time (Wood, par. 7). Within the structure of a reliable and caring nursing home, there are many beneficial aspects of the senior care they provide. However, not all care homes are as trustworthy as they should be and it is important that people understand what they should look out for. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. 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