Mistreatment in Healthcare Facilities

Posted on: February 24, 2016 by Huntersure

As one of the most common exposures in home health care, mistreatment comes in many forms. While these acts can be unintentional, it leaves these facilities vulnerable to expensive legal battles. In order to protect your clients’ facilities, a Residential Care Facility Insurance can help to mitigate risk. In addition, ensure that employees are providing the proper care and that any mishaps are closely investigated.

According to NCBI,  on any given day, approximately 1.6 million people live in approximately 17,000 licensed nursing homes, and another estimated 900,000 to 1 million live in an estimated 45,000 residential care facilities, variously known as personal care homes, adult congregate living facilities, domiciliary care homes, adult care homes, homes for the aged, and assisted living facilities. This leaves a vast number of people who could potentially be exposed to mistreatment.

Mistreatment comes in many forms including intentional and unintentional actions, and can result from a lack of staffing, training, and mishandling of patients. While the majority of these healthcare professionals pride themselves on quality caretaking, poor procedural execution and improper training create dysfunction in the care regimen, leading to mistreatment. In addition, if there is a shortage in staff, residents are more likely to be the victims of neglect since employees are spread so thin.

Mistreatment allegations are typically brought on by the resident’s family member or guardian rather than the victim themselves. Or, if another worker of the facility notices a change in personality, behavior, or condition, this can spark mistreatment complaints. Regardless of the validity of the claim, each one should be investigated immediately to ensure the safety of the patient.

Further, inefficient management protocols can lead to mistreatment of residents. Strict documentation, paperwork, medication administration, bathing and feeding procedures need to be clearly stated and followed. It is the facility’s sole responsibility to ensure all of the staff receives adequate training and that protocols are followed.

At Huntersure, we specialize in providing quality Residential Care Facility insurance programs to respond to each of these areas, designed to safeguard these facilities and their staff from financial loss. Our Residential Care Facility Liability insurance is designed to help protect care facilities and providers from a number of exposures, including allegations of mistreatment, neglect, and wrongdoing. To learn more about our operation as well as our allied healthcare insurance programs, contact us today at (855) 585-6255.

Posted in: blog Residential Care Facility

Tagged: Healthcare Facility Liability Mistreatment in Healthcare Facility Residential Care Facility Insurance