The last thing anyone wants to hear is that their elderly loved one has suffered nursing home abuse and neglect. The reality is, elder abuse or neglect is a common problem and your loved one could be at risk, regardless of how caring and professional the facility’s staff members may seem. Therefore, it is recommended to investigate and find out if your elderly loved one is comfortable. In case you realize that the elderly have been neglected by the facility, you should file a complaint with the right authorities.
Contact the facility
In some instances, contacting the facility could be the easiest and quickest way of resolving the situation. For example, it is possible that neglect or abuse at the care facility isn’t widespread and only a few staff members who might be causing the problem. In such a case, the facility can work with you to identify the issue and handle it appropriately.
But if the facility’s administrators and staff members are difficult, then, you may need to go over their heads to get the issue resolved and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable for their abusive or neglect actions.
File a complaint with the department of health in Ohio
The department of health, complaint unit, and the Bureau of Long Term Care handle all complaints against both federal and state facilities that agree to get funds from Medicaid and Medicare, and nursing homes aren’t an exception. Note that the Bureau of Long Term Care will get your complaint forwarded to the right regional office of the Department of Health in Ohio or any other state agency that can conduct a thorough investigation. The investigation process and details are kept secret as it is with your identity and the identity of your loved one.
The complaint can be submitted via a phone call. It can also be submitted via a printed document or a complete complaint form and sending it to the Department of health. Your complaint must include the following;
- Contact details and address of the nursing home
- The name of the resident alleged neglected or abused
- The name and title details of the all the alleged perpetrators
- Unless you want to remain anonymous, provide your name and contact details
Note that there is also a section for a narrative description of the neglect or abusive incident. Use this section to indicate the time and location of the alleged abuse. Also, provide the following details.
- The reasons you think the neglect or abuse occurred
- Whether or not the nursing home has taken the right steps to address the issue
- Whether or not you believe this is an isolated or common problem at the nursing home
- The steps you have taken to get the issue addressed.
Ohio’s Department of Health cannot investigate complaints made a year or more after the alleged neglect or abuse occurred. Therefore, if you discover that a certain nursing home has neglected the elderly, it is recommended to file a complaint as soon as possible.