ok nursing home abuse prevention
How Can You Protect Your Loved One from Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse is a serious problem that may exist even in the nicest-looking, swankiest facilities in Oklahoma. This makes nursing home abuse or neglect challenging to detect and prevent. There are steps, however, that family members can take to reduce the chances of their loved ones suffering from negligence or abuse at an Oklahoma nursing home.
One of the most common causes of abuse and neglect in nursing homes is understaffing. There is a smaller chance of abuse or neglect at a facility that has a greater number of qualified workers and where staff turnover is not high. When choosing a facility for your loved one, ask about the number of residents they have per certified care provider. It is also advisable to read online reviews about recent incidents and concerns at the facility, which you are considering.
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Oklahoma Bill to Protect Elderly in Nursing Homes in Danger, May Not Make It
An Oklahoma bill that would protect nursing home patients by requiring a fingerprint background check program for long-term care facilities is in jeopardy of dying a quiet death on the Senate floor. According to a news report in Tulsa World, House Bill 2582 sets up a system that would fingerprint all new employees applying to certain jobs in nursing homes and other care facilities. The fingerprints would then be submitted to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) for a national criminal background check.
If the employee had a prior disqualifying offense, such as abuse by caretaker, that would prevent the person from working at the nursing home or care facility. Currently, prospective applicants for nursing home jobs have a criminal background check on their name only. Also, the background check is only done statewide and does not include other states unless the employee discloses that he or she worked in another state. The bill has passed the House, but has not been heard in the Senate. The bill is in danger of dying if it does not get a hearing in the Senate soon.
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