Poor nursing home hygiene is usually a serious problem. This is because germs can be spread easily to the residents. In such a setting, the immune system of patients can be compromised. You should note that advanced age of elder patients makes it difficult for them to repel germs.
Recent studies have shown that most medical complications and infections that are suffered by patients in nursing homes are because of improper hygiene. In fact, improper care in a nursing home may also result in the transfer of germs from one person to another. In most cases, hygiene deficiencies are related to understaffing of a nursing facility.
Poor Nursing Home Hygiene
This is likely to have an ill effect on the residents, particularly when staff neglects their hygiene. As you probably know, most nursing home patients require assistance with various tasks such as going to the bathroom, changing clothes, changing diapers, changing bandages, and other similar tasks. If staff members leave patients with dirty clothing or fail to bathe them, this may result in poor hygiene.
Unclean Nursing Home Centers
In this case, the physical condition of a nursing home is lacking. Shower areas and bathrooms are not sanitized on a routine basis. This creates a conducive area where illnesses and germs spread among residents. Sometimes areas, where food is made, eaten, and served, are not cleaned probably. This may result in the spread of germs and illnesses. Chairs, tables, and other surfaces, which undergo routine human contact ought to be cleaned on a routine basis to avoid passing of germs among the residents.
Understaffing
Recent studies have revealed a link between poor hygiene in the nursing homes and understaffing. If staff members work under pressure without adequate help, then they can even forget to wash their hands using detergents on a routine basis. On the other hand, they may feel to be very busy or simply forget hygiene tasks because of the unaccomplished tasks. In this way, they may end up spread germs to the patients.
Lawsuits
Nowadays, a lot of lawsuits are filed against nursing homes with the assistance of a professional improper care attorney. If your loved one suffers or is injured because of improper hygiene, a lawsuit is the next logical step. This may result in awarding of compensation to the family and loved ones. In most cases, lawsuits are based on neglect claims and poor hygiene is one of them.