Posted on: November 9, 2018
Abuse does not always refer to black eyes and being pushed around. There are many types of abuse, some of which include:
• Isolation
• Financial
• Neglect
• Sexual
• Emotional
Most would associate abuse with females in relationships with men who try to control their every move and become abusive at the slightest sign of resistance, but that is not always the case. Alivity wants to speak up and share a heartbreaking story about one of our own clients and bring awareness to those who believe their loved one may be neglected, abused or living in unsafe conditions.
Alivity was hired by out-of-town family to oversee mom’s care after multiple hospital visits. Mom was living in a senior living community which, on the outside, appeared clean, staff was friendly, and residents seemed to be enjoying themselves. Beyond that, in the dementia lock down unit, things looked different. The unit was filthy, the floors were sticky, no residents were outside their rooms, and the room our client was in smelled of urine. After hiring a home care agency to be with her a couple times a week, the agency reported twice that she had a black eye and the family was never informed. Our advocate reported the facility to the state for abuse and assisted the family in moving her to a new location.
If you are concerned a senior living community’s staff is abusive, neglectful and/or unsanitary, the link below is a guide on steps you can take to make a report about elder abuse.
Protecting Residents From Elder Abuse & Neglect in Health Care Facilities
There are a number of ways to ensure that a loved one is not subjected to elder abuse and is treated with the respect they deserve, below is a list of our top three.
1. Find the right senior living community
Doing in depth research about senior living communities can help save headaches and heartaches in the future. Schedule a tour before a loved one moves in. These tours can alleviate stress and worry when deciding to place a loved one in a community. View the entire community; the reception area, dining room, and all units within. It is important to make sure the cleanliness, friendly staff and happy demeanor of the residents continues throughout the whole community
2. Plan “unscheduled” visits with your loved one
Once your loved one moves in the community, plan unscheduled visits. These unplanned visits can be very eye opening. For example, learn the meal schedule for your loved one, if lunch is served at 12:00pm in their room, arrive shortly after noon and observe whether or not lunch has been delivered. Same thing if your loved one goes to the dining room for meals.
3. Hire a Care Advocate
It can be stressful and overwhelming deciding the best options for a loved one. Many family members live in a different state and have to take vacation time and spend time away from their families to care for an elderly parent. Care Advocates can assist in the process of selecting the right senior living community that fits within your needs and budget. Care Advocates will make monthly visits and report back with updates.
For a full list of services Care Advocates can provide, click here to view Alivity Care Advocate’s Brochure.
If you are interested in learning more about senior care advocacy and how find the best Birmingham elder care, contact us online or call us at (289) 375-9125.