Nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and other cognitive disabilities are at an increased risk for abuse compared to others. The effects of these illnesses might prevent many from reporting wrongdoing.
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Alzheimer’s special care units (SCUs)—also called memory care units—are designated sections of a facility that focus solely on residents with cognitive impairments.
These secure units are often included within an assisted living facility or nursing home and consist of trained staff competent in handling residents with cognitive disabilities. Sometimes SCUs are locked away from the rest of the facility to prevent wandering and elopement.
The Code of Colorado Regulations has specific guidelines worth noting regarding secure units, which include the following:
Residents should only be placed into a secure unit if they are a danger to themselves or others, habitually wander off, or have behavior problems that disrupt other residents’ rights.
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Residents with Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia require more attention and have specific needs different from others, which include the following:
Alzheimer’s and Dementia residents can experience the following types of abuse:
Residents with cognitive disabilities are easy prey for staff members, family members, and others because they don’t keep close tabs on their financial transactions.
Someone could steal their banking information and clean out their savings account right under their nose. A resident’s Power of Attorney agent might abuse their power to make large transactions that aren’t in the resident’s best interest.
Nursing home staff might punch, kick, or otherwise physically abuse residents. Because Alzheimer’s patients suffer from memory loss, these incidents go unreported, and nursing homes aren’t held accountable.
A study found that residents with Alzheimer’s or other types of cognitive disabilities were sexually abused at a higher rate compared to the average nursing home population. Residents might forget these traumatic incidents, leaving them vulnerable to continual abuse.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia residents might suffer abuse for the following reasons:
Nursing homes with memory care facilities should ensure these sections are in a secure location away from the rest of the facility. Staff members should also make sure the doors to these secure units are locked to prevent residents from leaving and endangering themselves. Adequate surveillance can help track residents and prevent them from walking out of the facility’s front door and getting lost.
Under the Code of Colorado Regulations, staff members should be trained to care for residents with cognitive disabilities like Alzheimer’s and Dementia. They should receive continual education on this topic. Poor hiring methods could put unqualified and uneducated staff members in charge of caring for these residents.
The staff-to-resident ratio in nursing homes across the country is staggering. Many nursing homes cannot give each resident the quality care they deserve, and cognitively impaired residents require even more attention than others.
It takes a lot of patience and experience to accommodate residents with memory loss. Overworked staff members are likelier to lash out at residents verbally or hit them. Understaffed nursing homes cannot closely supervise residents, which increases their risk of wandering off and getting lost.
"Mac Hester and his associates are great! I had no idea how to handle my injury case, but they knew exactly what to do and kept me informed every step of the way."
Read Our TestimonialYour or your loved one’s primary caregiver might not always be liable for your loved one’s injuries or wrongful death. The following parties might be responsible for your damages:
You or your loved one may have suffered several damages from the nursing home’s abuse and neglect. You’ll need to be compensated appropriately for your suffering to recover correctly. You could be entitled to the following damages:
You might have lost a loved one resulting from the nursing home’s abuse. In that case, you could be entitled to the following:
We know that this time is challenging. If you don’t have legal support, it could be difficult to navigate the recovery journey. Our Denver nursing home lawyers blaze the trail for you and ensures you receive the financial compensation you need.
We’ll help you by:
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