Tennessee Nursing Homes Rank Amongst the Worst in the Nation
As the population of Baby Boomers continues to age, its members are swelling the numbers of residents in nursing home and assisted care facilities. Although many of these homes have caring staff and engaging programs, a dismaying number of these facilities have deficiencies that can lead to neglect and abuse. Sadly, Tennessee ranks among the worst of the states for nursing home conditions and understaffing.
Nursing home neglect and abuse is a serious concern for everyone, including the state and federal government and concerned family members who want the best care for their relatives. The government is struggling to fund the funding and staffing to keep up with the burgeoning need and some nonprofits are shining a spotlight on the deficiencies in the nursing home system to bring about needed change. In order to track nursing home conditions, the Families for Better Care, which is an advocacy group for better nursing home care, has created nursing home report cards that analyze various factors and then give the facility a series of grades and rankings (www.nursinghomereportcards.com/state/tn/). The 2013 mid-year report card for Tennessee shows a terrible system in need of a serious overhaul.
Nursing homes in Tennessee have a great number of deficiencies, including failing the staffing measures that are supposed to be present, meaning that there are not enough employees to meet the needs of the residents. Nursing home residents receive only forty (40) minutes of professional nursing care each day, on average. This is far less than patients should be receiving, especially when you consider that most nursing home patients require the help of a certified nursing assistant (CNA) with the five activities of daily living (ADL): bathing, dressing, using the bathroom facilities, eating, and transferring to and from the bed and chairs. The large majority of Tennessee nursing home residents require assistance with four out of the five ADLs. In addition, Tennessee officials failed to issue citations for these failings, meaning that nursing homes do not have an incentive to correct the deficiencies and dangerous conditions. Overall, Tennessee ranked 38 out of the states and had a grade of “D” for its nursing homes.
READ: Tennessee’s Cap on Non-Economic Damages Hurts the Elderly
The situation in nursing homes throughout the United States is even worse than a poor or failing grade suggests because ninety percent (90%) of nursing homes do not have the necessary staff numbers to provide adequate care for their residents, according to the American Association for Justice. As the elderly population doubles between now and 2030, this is going to become more of a crisis than exists today. What this lack of staffing means is that employees are overworked and unable to meet residents’ basic needs. Morale problems and exhaustion are main causes of neglect and abuse. The lack of sufficient staffing also provides an opportunity for abusive staff members to engage in the abuse over a long period of time without anyone reporting the crime. Nursing home residents often are too weak or vulnerable to speak for themselves, making them perfect victims for predators.
A further complication is that states are not keeping up with their inspections of nursing home facilities to catch situations where neglect and abuse are occurring. Tennessee is one of the states with poor inspection records, which hinders a person’s efforts to find a good facility for a loved one.
As depressing as these statistics are, there is always the possibility of change, which you can advance by holding the wrongdoers who harmed your loved one accountable. Each time a nursing home is exposed for bad practices, the living environment for many will get better. If you have a family member who has been harmed by the negligence or intentional actions of nursing home staff, the compassionate attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC are ready to help you determine the best strategy for you and your family. We will sit down with you during a free and confidential initial consultation to discuss your case. To schedule an appointment, please call 901-680-9777.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
Read more about Thomas R. Greer