Abuse and Neglect from Volunteer Workers
Summary
This article discusses volunteer workers in a nursing home or assisted living facility. It discusses the type of training a worker at a nursing home should have and the implications of volunteer workers are not properly trained in these areas. It discusses the ways it can affect your loved ones and ways any physical, mental, or emotional harm can be prevented.
Abuse and Neglect from Volunteer Workers
The majority of nursing home staff members are highly trained nurses and caretakers. However, a small percentage of workers in nursing homes are potentially untrained or inadequately trained volunteer workers. Lack of training can be due to many factors including negligence from the nursing home facility in which they work. Even if they are properly trained, volunteers should in no way put your loved one in a position to be abused or neglected. Unfortunately negligence from volunteer workers does occur. Most volunteer workers are not licensed professionals and therefore it is possible for your loved one to be put at risk of negligence or abuse from volunteer workers.
A Nurse or Physician Must Be Properly Trained In
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Cause and Treatment of Disease
- Nutrition and Diet
- Surgical Skills
- Other Patient Care
Most volunteers in nursing homes or assisted living centers are individuals who have had little or no training at all in either of these areas and this can greatly affect the care your loved one receives. This especially pertains to a lack of knowledge of pharmacology. Pharmacology is the study of different drugs and medications including their composition, use and the effects they may have on individuals taking them. Therefore without this sort of training, it is possible for negligence to occur by the misuse of medications prescribed to elderly individuals in nursing homes or assisted living centers. Misuse of medications is a very dangerous form of negligence as the adverse effects can greatly diminish the individual's quality of life or possibly cause a fatality.
Volunteer workers should also be trained to physically handle patients. This includes such actions as assisting them in and out of beds or chairs or assuring their physical comfort. This is absolutely necessary to ensure that elderly individuals do not suffer some sort of physical injury if they are trying to do things for themselves that they are physically incapable of doing. This type of care is also another aspect that volunteer workers may overlook or neglect. This could put your loved one in a position to incur dangerous or fatal physical injuries, which should not happen for any reason.
Types of Medication Provided to Elderly Patients
- Antipsychotic Medication
- Pain Medication
- Post-Surgical Medication
- Diabetic Medication
- Cardiovascular Medication
- Respiratory Medication
All these types of medication can be misused if handled by a volunteer worker that is negligent and improperly trained to handle these medications. This type of misuse can have drastic effects for your loved ones.
Contact an Arizona Nursing Home Lawyer
There are many ways to ensure a staff member in an Arizona nursing home does not misuse any kind of dangerous medication. Making sure your loved one is receiving a high level of a care is important. An Arizona Attorney can understand the liabilities Nursing Homes face due to misuse of medication. For more information or to speak with an Arizona Nursing Home Lawyer, visit www.nursinghomeadvocates.com
