Protecting Mom & Dad

You might assume your loved one will receive high-quality care in a nursing home; however, that can be a dangerous assumption and your parent may instead be at risk of harm.

Placing a parent in a nursing home is one of the most difficult decisions a person can make. Still, many of us must face this choice when caring for our parent at home becomes impossible because of the high level of medical care they require, or because of personal reasons such as time constraints or lack of space in the home. A nursing home becomes a better option than home care when you've reached the point where the nursing home is better equipped to give your parent the care and attention they need than you are.

In March 2007, the Government Accountability Office issued a report (GAO-07-241) stating that, when it comes to improving the care in nursing homes that have been found to put their patients in danger, sanctions are ineffective. Often, nursing homes can avoid the implementation of sanctions because of the complexity of the sanction process or because the sanctions are rescinded prior to their effective dates. As a result, some nursing homes continue to harm their patients. According to a December 2007 article in USA Today, "The Medicare and Medicaid services' records for 2007, still incomplete, already show more than 1,300 'immediate jeopardy' citations" (USA Today, December 19, 2007, Brad Heath).

The positive news is there are measures you can take to protect your parent. The first step is to know what to look for. These signs may not necessarily indicate a lack of care or a medical error, but you should evaluate them.