Behind Closed Doors: What Actually Goes Down in the Nursing Homes?
Behind Closed Doors: What Actually Goes Down in the Nursing Homes?
“BEEP BEEP BEEP… Commack Unit 2-16-16, respond to Gurwin Assisted Living for an adult male in cardiac arrest.” The man that this call was for was fighting to breathe in a place that advertised itself as safe, and friendly. Yet when help arrived, not one staff member was in sight. No nurse, no aid, and no one watching over the residents.
A resident in a medical crisis was left completely alone, and the silence in his room spoke louder than words. Situations like this are unfortunately very common. They show the sad truth about the state of long-term care. When responsibilities aren’t met, the people who suffer are the elderly residents who rely on these facilities and nurses to protect them.
Neglect in nursing homes is not only rising, it is being documented at terrifying rates. The World Health Organization reports that two out of three nursing home workers admit to committing some form of neglect or abuse.
This should make anyone who thinks their loved one is safe behind facility walls question the care they are receiving. When caregivers don’t fulfill their duties, the consequences are immediate, physical, and potentially fatal.
One missed check-in can mean a stroke that goes unnoticed. An ignored alarm can mean hours of suffering. A resident left alone for too long can lose their life before anyone realizes they are not okay. Elderly people should not be statistics. They are human beings whose bodies rely on the care from those around them, especially nursing homes/care facilities.
Residents deserve competent, attentive care, not lazy, and mediocre. While low pay and staff burnout are some of the reasons for neglect, these conditions do not make it okay to leave residents in the dust. The morality of these workers should overweigh these personal problems, and workers should be able to put their residents first. The elderly are placed in nursing homes with trust from their family that nurses and caregivers are watching over them 24/7.
Caregivers are trusted deeply with vulnerable lives, and when a caregiver walks away, skips out on a check-in for a resident, or ignores signs of distress, the failure is not only the system’s alone, but it is also some of a personal failure. One that puts residents' lives in immense danger, and the people who are responsible for taking care of these residents should be held accountable.
Another thing to consider, is that if these facilities paid their staff more, or hired more caregivers, the price that families would have to pay to live there is going to increase, which then will cause the facility to lose patients. These families should not have to pay a crazy amount to receive quality care, they deserve to have a trustworthy care facility, that is a reasonable price.
In another article, it highlights a big issue with live-in home care. Many workers aren’t properly trained for the situations they should be prepared to deal with. Even the smallest mistakes in hospitals and care facilities can quickly turn into serious problems. Now picture that happening every day in someone’s home, with no one else around to catch it.
According to Ayalon (2009), many home care workers are providing care in situations they aren’t fully prepared for, which leads to neglect and abuse. Families don't notice that the neglect is due to a lack of training, and try to compensate for the neglect by giving the caregiver extra gifts, or money to motivate them. However this is ineffective, because the workers don’t have the necessary skills to provide quality care.
The article states, "They reported giving gifts, extra money, extra food, and extra benefits in order to ‘please’ the worker and to prevent an imagined or real abandonment" (Ayalon, 2009). This displays the idea that some families try to "please" the worker with gifts, to prevent neglect. These strategies to “motivate” caregivers frequently hide serious problems instead of solving them. Because of this, family members often feel like they have to monitor care constantly, or take over certain tasks themselves. Some even consider hidden cameras just to make sure their loved ones are safe.
This isn’t just stressful for the family, it shows how poorly trained caregivers can put everyone at risk, both mentally and physically. Proper training is not just performing tasks correctly, it’s about protecting the health, wellness, and trust of the elderly, who rely on care the most. Without it, families are left worrying every day, and residents' needs are neglected.
Neglect in long-term care does not stem from one cause, it results from many things, such as lack of responsibility, preparation, and attentiveness. When caregivers lack training, and accountability fades away, the elderly population feels the effects of this the most.
A resident being alone in their room during a medical emergency is not just the result of a busy shift. It is the result of someone choosing not to be there, and failing to maintain the responsibility of care they signed up for.
Elderly people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities deserve way more than minimal effort. They deserve caregivers full attention, informed decision-making, and caregivers who understand how important it is that they do their job correctly.
Quality training, dependable staffing, and steady personal responsibility are non-negotiable. They are important to make sure that vulnerable elderly patients are not being left alone when they need help. Until the caregivers that take on this responsibility recognize the full significance and morality of their job, nursing homes will continue to neglect residents behind closed doors, and the cycle of neglect will continue to occur.
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