Florida Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
As more nursing home abuse and neglect cases are cropping up in Florida and nationwide, regulators are being forced to ask important questions. Why are there more cases of abuse? How should care facilities be screened and investigated in the event of an abuse allegation? Are the sheer numbers of abuse cases on the rise?
As the baby boomer generation enters old age, the number of elderly persons needing care is expected to rise sharply. Not only does this create additional need for oversight, but the sheer volume of patients could make an already strapped system ripe for abuse.
Statewide, legislators, public safety advocates, families and victims of abuse are speaking out against the growing problem of nursing home abuse and neglect. The reality is that nursing home abuse is an epidemic and is on the rise. Our Fort Lauderdale nursing home abuse attorneys understand the grave circumstances faced by Florida’s elderly and their loved ones. Our priority is to expose nursing home abuse and help victims and their families recover compensation for any injury or wrongful death. By taking legal action, we hope to help victims, raise awareness, and stop future abuse.
According to reports, 10,000 baby boomers will retire every day. This means that there is a growing population of elderly who are at risk of financial fraud and abuse, nursing home or care taker abuse and neglect, and serious injuries that could result in death. In the past few years several reports have indicated that the rise in baby boomers needing care, is also going to produce a significant shortage in health care workers and aids.
Health care aids are responsible for many of the duties that nurses do not have time to perform. Rather than have trained nurses bathe, dress, feed patients, most nursing homes rely on these aids to perform these necessary tasks. As the baby boomer generation enters old age, it is likely that there will be a serious labor shortage. One of the reasons is because the health care aids rarely make more than minimum wage. This is one way that for-profit care centers and hospitals can continue to make money, despite the very demanding nature of these jobs.
Nursing home care centers and in-home health care agencies are already struggling to find direct-care workers who are properly trained. One reason is because this sector of the workforce is over the age of 55 and will soon begin to retire themselves. The industry has also found that it is difficult to retain workers for such low wages.
As baby boomers enter retirement, many of them will be forced to enter assisted-living and nursing home centers. For those who suffer from mental incapacity or physical ailments, they will likely require assistance from health care aids. Unfortunately, under staffing could result in neglect, and failed background checks creates an environment ripe for abuse. High turnover in these areas could also lead to hurried hiring decisions and a lack of oversight. As baby boomers enter into old age, regulators, medical professionals, and families need to be scrupulous about holding care facilities accountable.
Freeman Injury Law — 1-800-561-7777 for a free appointment to discuss your rights.
More Blog Entries:
Nursing Home Abuse: See How Florida Ranks, Sept. 7, 2013, Delray Beach Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
Florida Nursing Home Abuse; When Authorities are Slow to Act, Sept. 1, 2013, Wilton Manors Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog