Nursing homes are facilities designed for patients who have persistent medical needs. Aging adults, those recovering from major surgeries, and other residents depend on nursing homes to provide safe environments and helpful care. Unfortunately, there is an epidemic of nursing home abuse and neglect nationwide, which has caused concern for many current and potential residents. 

If you are an employee in a nursing home, such as a nurse or administrator, you are held to a high standard. Professionalism and quality care are paramount in this industry, which can put a lot of stress on an employee in an already stressful environment. 

Residents or employees who experience abuse often decide to pursue lawsuits against the at-fault facilities or employees. This could be a terrifying ordeal for the defendant, especially if the lawsuit happened because of a simple mistake. Here are some tips to help you protect yourself and your employer from potential lawsuits as a nursing home employee.

Pursue Proper Training

Nurses especially need sufficient training to do their jobs in a skilled nursing facility, but other staff members also must have up-to-date skill sets. Nursing homes that are sued for negligence often face lawsuits because the staff were not trained well enough to provide high-quality care for the residents. You can help yourself avoid nursing mistakes and other shortcomings by requesting additional training so you can perform your role as professionally as possible. 

Learn the Signs of Abuse and Neglect

Victims of nursing home abuse and neglect do not always come forward immediately. Some of them may not even realize they are being subjected to mistreatment, or they could be afraid of the repercussions. As a nursing home employee, you can be the first line of defense against abuse and neglect by watching for the signs yourself. For example, you should be vigilant about the signs of physician abuse, such as frequent unaccompanied examinations, inappropriate comments, excessive physical contact, and uneasy patients. If you are watchful for these signs and can halt the behavior immediately, the chances of facing a lawsuit will decrease. 

Verify Complaints Are Properly Addressed

In the course of your work, you may learn about instances of abuse or neglect occurring within the nursing home. Residents and employees have the right to file complaints about these issues with the administration to ensure that investigative and disciplinary actions are taken. However, many nursing facilities sweep these complaints under the rug to avoid punishment. As an employee, you can verify if the administration is properly addressing these complaints. If you notice no actions are being taken in response to official complaints, this could open the facility up to a lawsuit. An ignored complaint would be a valid reason for a patient to hire a nursing home abuse lawyer and sue the facility. 

Promote Resident Mental Health

Nursing homes are not only for physical needs. They are designed to meet the resident’s overall healthcare needs, which include social and emotional health. Nurses can play a major role in mental health support in an assisted living facility. Patients who are in better physical and mental conditions can advocate for themselves and speak up when they feel they are being mistreated. When residents are happy and healthy, abuse and neglect are less likely to take place in a nursing home because they would be immediately called out. 

Don’t Be Shy About Reporting Suspicious Activities

Preventing nursing home abuse and neglect requires buy-in from all parties. Residents who experience mistreatment should be able to file complaints without fear of reprisal. Family members who witness poor practices can communicate with the administrators. Nurses who are on the frontlines of providing care should not be shy about reporting suspicious activities within the facility. Teamwork is necessary to fight nursing home abuse, and your role as a caregiver puts you in a prime position to notice when abuse or neglect is affecting a patient. 

Focus on Self-Care

Abuse and neglect do not always stem from employees who have ill will toward residents. Rather, they often occur when staff members are frustrated, tired, overworked, or improperly trained. If you go into work already exhausted, it will be easy to overlook some of your duties and neglect a patient, which could lead to a lawsuit in turn. Prioritizing your physical and mental health as a nursing home employee will help you do your job more effectively, which will reduce the chances of abuse or neglect occurring. Plus, you will be more attentive to the signs of mistreatment from others. 

Nursing Home Lawsuits Can Shut Down Facilities and End Careers

No one wants to be involved in a nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit. These legal actions only occur when someone is being treated very poorly in a facility. A lawsuit could result in a loss of resources for the facility, fired workers, and ruined lives. If you and the other employees can follow these tips, your team will maintain a higher standard of professional care, reducing the chances of residents pursuing lawsuits for abuse or neglect. 

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