According to Families for Better Care’s Nursing Home Report Card, Louisiana is the second worst state in the country when it comes to quality of care. It received this rating because:
These statistics are abhorrent, and are indicative of the potential injuries and losses that your loved one can sustain while living in one of our state’s facilities.
Bedsores: Also known as pressure ulcers or pressure wounds, bedsores develop mainly because of inadequate turning of patients and proper skin care. If you notice your loved one has a wound, request immediate care and ensure that you follow up constantly, so the wound doesn’t get worse
Falls: Most falls occur due to lack of monitoring and improper safety measures. Falls lead to serious injuries and increase mortality and morbidity rates. If your loved one fell out of bed or fell while walking down the hallway because he or she didn’t have a sturdy railing to hold on to, seek immediate medical and legal attention.
Malnutrition: Statistics show that up to 85% of current nursing home residents suffer from some level of malnutrition. Most often, malnourishment arises due to the nursing home staff’s lack of attention during mealtimes to ensure that each resident is eating the proper type and amount of food. Protect your loved one from this as much as possible, as malnutrition quickly opens the door for further injuries and illnesses.
Dehydration: Like malnutrition, dehydration is a rampant problem at all nursing homesas nearly all residents do not drink enough fluids each day. Make sure that your loved one receives a full assessment upon entering a nursing home facility so you know how much he or she should drink each day. Then make sure that the staff documents daily fluid intake to ensure they keep a watchful eye over your loved one.
Wandering and elopement: If you have any concerns that your loved one may try to leave the nursing home, make the nursing staff aware of this immediately. Then require that the staff put a plan in place to keep elopement from happening or to avoid injuries from wandering. Without a plan in place, and constant oversight, your loved one could be at risk.
