When caring for an elderly parent or spouse becomes too difficult, many people are left with no choice but to trust a nursing facility to care for their loved ones. With the inevitable aging of the Baby Boom Generation, more and more North Carolina residents will soon be calling a nursing facility their home for the remainder of their lives.
NC nursing homes receive “D” grade
While some nursing homes in the state of North Carolina have sterling reputations, a growing number of homes are not living up to expectations.
As recently reported in the press, Families for Better Care, a nonprofit advocacy group, gave North Carolina nursing homes a “D” grade, which they based on 2012 federal data combining nursing home staffing statistics, facility inspections, deficiencies and complaints by residents and their loved ones.
Possible causes for low ratings of North Carolina nursing facilities
Some blame North Carolina’s dismal grade on the state’s large aging population, while others fault cuts to federal and state aid for the care of the elderly. An additional cause may be the fact that nursing facilities have become for-profit ventures run by large corporations that care little about the human and medical needs of individual nursing home residents.
Whatever the reason, the reported lowering of standards in North Carolina nursing homes should make the families of residents wary of potential elder neglect or abuse. If you have a loved one that is a resident of a nursing home, make sure that you are familiar with the common signs of neglect and abuse. If you suspect that your loved one may have been abused or neglected in a nursing facility, you should contact a personal injury attorney to understand what legal steps you should take.
The attorneys at Hensley Cloninger & Greer, P.C. can help ensure that any elder abuse or neglect affecting your loved one stops immediately and that your family is compensated for any injuries your loved one may have sustained.