Many people make the choice to relocate their loved one to a nursing home, believing that such a move will be in the elderly person’s best interests. Indeed, when managed adequately, nursing homes have the ability to increase an elderly person’s quality of life dramatically, while helping them to remain as independent as possible.
However, the issue of understaffing is currently affecting nursing homes in Washington and throughout the country. Understaffing often arises from the desire to maximize profit. However, it can lead to the suffering of many nursing home residents.
The misdiagnosis and lack of treatment of depression in nursing home residents are partly due to understaffing. However, it can also be due to lack of training and staff negligence. Many nursing home residents are diagnosed with dementia when in fact they are suffering from depression. This misdiagnosis has lead to unnecessary suffering.
The link between dementia and depression
The experience of relocating to a nursing home can be enough to cause depression in an older person if it is not managed correctly. Some 80 percent of nursing home residents in the United States have been diagnosed with dementia, which has been linked to an increased risk of depression.
Dementia can blur the lines so that it becomes harder for medical professionals to recognize the symptoms of depression. However, by giving nursing home residents the proper care and attention that they deserve, depression would be greatly reduced.
If you believe that your loved one’s condition hasn’t been diagnosed or treated properly because of nursing home abuse or neglect, it is important that you take action to protect them.
