Documenting Your Complaint, Obtaining Records
There may be times when you have questions about the care of your elderly loved one in a nursing home or other residential care facility that have not been adequately addressed by the staff. We suggest that you ask for and obtain copies of his or her chart and records. If you later seek assistance outside the facility, these items could prove invaluable in backing up any complaint. Reading the chart may also give you a better idea of the level of care that your loved one is receiving.
Keep records of your own. Write down the date, time, place, and people involved in any questionable incident as well as your observations of your loved one’s health. With his or her permission, take photographs of any physical indications of abuse or neglect such as bedsores or bruises. This evidence could be useful should you later feel the need to pursue a legal action.
Details are important. For example, it is not enough to state that it takes too long for a bedridden nursing home resident to contact an aide. A better description might include the length of time that passed before an aide answered the call button, the time and date of the occurrence, the aide’s name, the number of staff on duty, and whether your elderly relative needed to be helped to the toilet. Other observations may include the cleanliness of your loved one’s clothes, room and bed. Remember that your detailed observations may later prove useful in improving your relative’s living conditions.
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