In a nursing home, there are many vulnerable adults who need assistance in their everyday lives. They may need help getting from their beds to chairs or wheelchairs, moving from a bed to the restroom or getting from a bedroom to a dining room. Mobility is a major challenge for may elderly people in nursing homes.
It is neglectful to ignore someone who cannot move around freely when they call for help. It might be that a call button went off and there were not enough staff members to respond, or it could be that a certain staff member does not want to participate in the care of a particular elderly resident.
Regardless of the reason, if an elderly person is unable to get the care they need in a timely fashion, the nursing home and its staff can be accused of being neglectful or even abusive.
What should you do if a loved one has been ignored in a nursing home?
One instance of a nurse or aide not coming to see your loved one when they’ve called or a single instance of failing to take them to dinner might not be intentional, but it still puts your loved one in harm’s way. If they attempt to get up and move around on their own, they could fall and get hurt. If they’ve called because they’ve already fallen, then not responding to them is delaying treatment, which can be extremely serious.
Our site has more on nursing home abuse and what you should do if your loved one has been injured or is being abused or neglected.