There will come a time when you may have to make the decision to place your loved one in a nursing home because, unlike home care, a nursing home facility may offer 24/7 care by skilled professionals.
Care.com cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reports that there are currently 15,600 nursing homes across the United States with roughly 1.7 million licensed beds. On average, a nursing home may have 87 residents on any given day. Residents typically received about four hours of care per day.
Registered nurses (RNs) spend an average of 40 minutes with residents but that expected time is 45 minutes. License practical nurses (LPNs), on the other hand, spend about 53 minutes per day with residents. They are expected to spend only 23 minutes giving care.
Where do Georgia nursing homes stand?
In order to help families determine the quality of facilities, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created a five-star rating system. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the best), Georgia ranked No. 5 in the bottom 10, with a score of 3.01.
This ranking was determined by:
- Deficiencies found in the two most recent yearly health inspections
- Staffing hours per resident, particularly RNs and LPNs
- Specific quality measures for short- and long-term residents
- Medicaid data shows that short-term residents tend to experience more acute pain than long-term residents. In Georgia, more than 13 percent of short-term residents experienced pain. For long-term residents, the rate was only six percent.
Survey results on concerns of care quality
About 71.1 percent of survey respondents said that putting their loved one in a nursing home was a difficult decision. Additionally, while 71.3 percent reported being satisfied with nursing home care, nearly 30 percent either expressed being dissatisfied or not being satisfied or dissatisfied.
More than 54 percent of respondents reported not spending enough time with their loved ones. The average visiting time for these respondents was 86 minutes, and the average frequency was four times per month.
For those who reported spending enough time with residents, the average visit time was 89 minutes and the average frequency was nine times per month.
When placing your loved one in a nursing home, you can’t be there all the time to monitor the quality of care they receive. That’s why it’s important to visit your loved one as much as possible. Not only does it keep them healthier longer, it’s a great way to identify any signs of abuse or neglect. You can do so at the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services.
If you notice anything that doesn’t seem right, don’t hesitate to report it. Even if the nursing home and its staff denies any wrongdoing, a thorough investigation will unveil evidence needed to hold responsible parties accountable.
Attorney George S. Johnson can help you through these difficult times. He has a proven track record of successfully bringing justice to nursing home residents and their families. Contact The Law Office of George S. Johnson, LLC today to review the details of your case and discuss your legal options.