Elderly residents depend on the care and support nursing homes should provide. But there's a type of unprofessional behavior that creates a culture of fear and silence: nursing home retaliation. This involves malicious actions taken against residents in response to complaints or grievances. This often affects residents who have raised issues about the quality of care, safety, or violations of rights within a facility. Retaliation in nursing homes may manifest as:
- Abuse and neglect.
- Unwarranted transfer or discharge.
- Restriction of privileges.
- Social isolation.
How prevalent is retaliation in nursing homes?
One anonymous nursing home resident shared their fear of isolation and staff mistreatment, saying, "I am nervous now that I said something. They will come at me." Despite legal protections for residents' rights, this fear often silences residents and leads to emotional and physical distress.
Dr. Eilon Caspi, a gerontologist at UConn's Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, conducted a groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology. His research delved into fear of retaliation in 100 nursing homes across 30 states. This study highlights the importance of understanding how residents experience threats, perceive, and actually face retaliation, along with the emotional impact of these experiences. As this area of research is relatively unexplored, Caspi's findings offer a foundation for future studies to build upon.
Some nursing home residents are left feeling helpless
The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center identifies fear of retaliation as a key reason why nursing home residents often hesitate to pursue complaints or reveal their identity. Given their dependency on facility staff for basic needs, residents' apprehension about possible repercussions is significant and shouldn't be understated.
Dr. Eilon Caspi's research highlights that such fears lead to real suffering and harm. However, they are inadequately addressed. Raising concerns about care or reporting rights violations and mistreatment can provoke fears of eviction, collective punishment, physical violence, delayed care, and aggressive interactions.
This fear is largely attributed to the power imbalance between staff and residents. This makes it challenging for residents to highlight abuse or for staff to report it. The study also revealed that this fear often results in unreported mistreatment. When reported, investigations are typically slow.
According to Caspi, many residents exhibit signs of "learned helplessness." This occurs when they stop trying to voice concerns due to repeated failures in effecting change.
What can be done to prevent retaliation in nursing homes?
This study highlights the need for better policies and practices. That includes educational initiatives, improved oversight, enforcement of federal rights, and awareness campaigns at both national and state levels. Educational programs can empower residents and their families and help them effectively address issues of neglect and retaliation.
Connecticut is the only state that requires annual training for nursing home staff on the fear of retaliation. That includes residents' rights to lodge complaints, identifying staff retaliation, and preventing such behaviors. However, this mandate currently excludes the assisted living sector, which is a gap that needs attention. A study from the UConn Center on Aging, which found retaliation fears to be prevalent in all long-term care settings, highlights the importance of this type of training in all states.
In addition to education, Caspi advocates for stronger federal oversight and enforcement to address fear of retaliation. Currently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) doesn't comprehensively track this issue across the nation's 15,000+ nursing homes. Additionally, the National Ombudsman Reporting System records only actual retaliation complaints, not the pervasive fear of such actions among residents. This highlights the need for broader, more inclusive measures to tackle the problem effectively.
Don't let your loved one suffer in silence
If you suspect your loved one is being harmed in a Georgia nursing facility, it's important to trust your instincts. You know your loved one best, and if you think something is wrong, you need to act fast. Get the help of an experienced Georgia nursing home abuse and neglect attorney who will fight to protect the rights of your loved one. The attorneys at Kurle Justus, LLC have a great deal of experience in handling nursing home abuse and neglect cases across Decatur and Georgia.
No matter how much facility staff and administrators try to hide any wrongdoing, we can launch a thorough investigation and find the facts that matter to your case. No matter how much they try to silence you, we'll fight to protect your rights every step of the way. Contact us online or call our Decatur office to set up your free and confidential consultation with our legal team.