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Can technology cut down on nursing home abuse and neglect in Virginia?

It sounds like something out of a bad dream: nursing home staff members using their paid work hours to watch TV, talk to friends on the phone, leave to run errands and essentially ignore needy residents. Sadly, this is the reality in some nursing homes, but that might all change as modern computer technology becomes more widespread.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you may begin to see electronic point-of-care devices being installed in residents’ rooms. In an effort to improve patient care, reduce paperwork, and ensure that staff members are doing their job, some nursing homes are embracing this new technology.

Point-of-care devices allow staff members to record the care they provide to patients in real time, either in a hand-held or a wall-mounted computer system. Because the data is captured electronically, it would no longer be possible for staff members to falsify patient care entries.

These devices would also make it easier for supervisors to determine when staff members fail to provide the appropriate care for residents. Missing entries could easily be spotted, as could delayed entries. With more oversight, proponents of this new technology hope that staff members will be discouraged from abusing or neglecting residents.

While the initial expense is a concern to some facilities, point-of-care devices could significantly reduce paperwork, making it easier to bill for care and easier for family members to check up on a loved one’s health record. Some facilities hope that Medicaid will eventually absorb some of the setup costs, which can be as high as $1,000 per resident room.

Abuse and neglect are very real issues facing nursing home residents across Virginia. Some forms of neglect can be very difficult to catch, such as delays in giving a resident much needed medication or staff who neglect to regularly clean or turn a bedridden patient.

Any technology that offers family members a way to ensure that their loved one is receiving top-notch care would be a welcome change. When family members can’t be present to observe the care that their loved one is receiving, technology offers a way to ensure that nursing home staff and supervisors are doing their job.

If you are concerned about the treatment that your loved one is receiving in a Virginia nursing home or assisted living facility, don’t hesitate to take action. You can contact the Norfolk based attorneys at Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C. to discuss your case confidentially for no cost or obligation.

Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.

112 College Place

Norfolk, VA 23510

Toll Free: (800) 690-0235

Phone: (757) 622-7740

Fax: (757) 533-9223

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Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
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