The Families for Better Care is a nonprofit elder advocacy group that recently reviewed and ranked nursing home care throughout the country. According to a CBS news report, the group used federal data regarding staffing, deficiencies, complaints and inspections in the nation’s nursing homes. In the study, 10 states received an A rating and 11 received an F. Oklahoma was one of the states that received a failing grade.
There are many determining factors that resulted in Oklahoma’s F rating. States that provided over an hour of professional nursing care to each resident received high ratings as did those that had a large number of experienced care workers on staff. States with nursing homes that had a high number of incident reports and complaints received low ratings. Many states received unfavorable grades, but unlike Oklahoma, managed to avoid an F rating. All Oklahoma residents should be concerned that our state is considered one of the worst in the country regarding how we treat the elderly in care facilities.
There are ways in which you can protect your loved one who lives in a nursing home. Many families are now using hidden cameras to record the actions of care providers. The CBS report cited one instance where an Oklahoma family caught a nursing home worker shoving a glove into the mouth of a 96-year-old woman. Throughout the country, hidden video cameras have caught aides shoving, yelling, hitting, and slapping elderly residents. These heinous acts are illegal and unacceptable under any circumstances.
If you worry that your loved one has been abused in a nursing home, it may be in your best interest to install a hidden camera. You should also discuss your concerns with a state ombudsman, the police, and the supervisor of the facility. If you are convinced that wrongdoing has taken place and have notified the authorities, you would be well advised to discuss your legal rights and options with an experienced Oklahoma nursing home lawyer.
The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Maples Law Firm have a long history of holding dangerous nursing care facilities accountable for their actions. We provide free, confidential consultations at (405) 705-5050 to anyone who suspects that their loved one has been abused or neglected in an Oklahoma nursing home.
