Nursing Home Abuse: Younger Residents Have Their Own Needs
In a recent post on his law firm's blog, my friend Randy Walton discussed a Washington Post story about younger nursing home residents and their needs. The WP story, by Matt Sedensky, reveals "about one in seven people now living in such facilities in the U.S. is under 65. But the growing phenomenon presents a host of challenges for nursing homes." In fact: :The number of under-65 nursing home residents has risen about 22 percent in the past eight years to about 203,000, according to an analysis of statistics from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services."
Many of the "younger" nursing home residents have suffered some type of traumatic injury which rendered them unable to care for themselves. The injuries, be it a gunshot wound or a car wreck, may have resulted in paralysis or a traumatic brain injury. "For young people who find themselves newly disabled, the psychological and social needs are often even more challenging than their physical demands. That presents a challenge for nursing homes that are used to serving people near the ends of their lives."
Nursing homes and assisted living living facilities need to do a better job at caring for all segments of their populations.
