In America, patients with dementia are becoming very popular in the Assisted Living Facilities. Dementia is the fastest growing disease on the rise and with that being said, many facilities struggle with balancing the proper care needed for their patients especially when they wander or need assistance. Because of this, the type of security and attentive care is not meeting the regulations in many facilities. Assisted Living facilities are being cited left and right for violating one or more state rules related to dementia. The biggest problem is that these facilities are not run by the government and they do not license or oversee them. The states, therefore, set minimal rules which have caused there to be limited staff and no regular training to keep dementia patients from wandering off.
There must be a balance of safety and freedom for dementia patients to move about and continue to be social with others. Some cases, however, can become violent. What happens when you have a few patients who consistently throw things or hit the caregivers and other patients? Did you know that around 8 percent of these dementia patients tend to be abusive and/or aggressive to residents and staff? One case in Oakland California at The Point had a gentleman named Ian who would shove and hit the staff and other patients sometimes causing broken bones. The facility masked the problem claiming that Ian was, “really just a calm and likable resident”. That was until they were sewed by the daughter of a mother who was injured and the attorney found multiple instances of his aggressive behavior, including Ian trying to kick the patient as she was being rolled out of the facility on a stretcher.
Being that over 45% of these facilities have violated one or more state dementia regulations, patient relatives need to take every precaution necessary to get the best care for there loved ones. If they find that the staff is not meeting state regulations, it is critically important to have a good attorney like our Kansas City Elder Abuse Lawyer. With the right representation, you can get to the bottom of your case even when it feels like no one is on your side.