Many instances of nursing home neglect and injuries are caused by under qualified or inexperienced staff. Individuals who are unable to handle difficult situations may take out their frustrations on residents, causing physical injury.

If you have a loved one in an Oregon nursing home, it is necessary to maintain vigilance Keep an eye out for signs of neglect or injury, such as the above symptoms or physical manifestations such as wounds, cuts, abrasions, burns, bruises, welts, swelling or untreated bedsores. Any of these signs of neglect or abuse should be reported immediately to the authorities and legal advice should be sought as well.

In response to reports of widespread neglect and abuse in nursing homes in the ‘80’s, legislation was enacted that specifies a nursing home must provide services and activities to attain or maintain the highest physical, mental and psychosocial well-being of each resident. These regulations cover sufficient nursing staff, comprehensive care plans, proper medical and psychological supervision and other areas of care and concern.

If you know someone who was injured in a nursing home you have several remedies. First, collect as much evidence as possible about how the person who was injured, including pictures of both the patient and the surroundings. You may call the Oregon Department of Health and file a complaint with state Licensing and Certification. This agency should issue a citation against the facility, impose a fine and require corrective action.

At the present time, there are upward of 10,000 patients currently residing in nursing homes in Oregon. Unfortunately, there are not enough inspectors and regulatory agents to prevent nursing home neglect and abuse. The state has rules and standards in place, but these are sometimes difficult to enforce due to lack of personnel.

For this reason it is essential that friends of family of nursing home residents make frequent unannounced visits, staying on the lookout for signs of injury which could have been avoided. When found, the problem should immediately be brought to the attention of the administrator and if not acted upon promptly, legal remedies are available.

In addition to the obvious signs of abuse and neglect, nursing home residents are often also subject to financial exploitation. This is often indicated by the sudden unjustified selling of property, missing or stolen money or property, radical changes in handling personal and financial affairs and, of course, specific complaints by residents.
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