Putting your parent in a nursing home can be a difficult decision. You may worry that he or she will not get proper care or could even suffer abuse in a facility.
If you stay alert and are involved with your parent’s care, you can often avoid having such issues occur. Still, there are a few tips that you should follow to keep an eye out for anything nefarious.
Look for signs
You can look for signs of potential abuse from the moment you start researching a facility for your parent. Make sure the nursing home is clean. Look at patients to see if they appear clean. Consider how the staff interacts with other patients. Ask questions that will dig into how the staff handles certain situations. Keep your eyes open for signs that tell you something is not right.
Be an advocate
Make it clear from the start that you are your parent’s advocate. Ensure that all staff are aware that you and your parent will speak out about any issues and take steps to resolve them. Becoming vocal about your desire to keep your parent safe, healthy and happy can go a long way towards ensuring your parent avoids abuse.
Learn your rights
Both you and your parents have specific rights when it comes to nursing home admission. Make sure you understand those rights and that you stand up for them 100 percent of the time. Ensure that you and your parent know where to report issues as well.
While you may not be able to prevent all issues, being vigilant will at least ensure if something happens you will know about it. Standing up for your parent is the best way to keep him or her safe.