How to Advocate on Behalf of a Nursing Home Resident

You don't have to join a group or hire a lawyer to be an advocate for nursing home residents. Nor do you have to be a supervisor or work for a federal agency. You simply need to care about the resident to advocate on his behalf. Advocates can be family members or a direct staff worker who provides the care for the resident. All it takes to advocate on the resident's behalf is a sixth sense and the courage to say what is on your mind.

Instructions

• 1

  Report abuse. Abuse of nursing home residents comes as both physical and verbal abuse. Either situation needs to be reported. If you are a direct care staff worker, it is both your moral and professional obligation to report an abuse you have witnessed to your supervising nurse.

• 2

  Speak up. While LPNs and RNs perform health assessments on a resident when deemed necessary, the direct care workers (CNAs) know the residents better than anyone. Therefore, if you notice that one of your residents may require a change to her care plan for a specific reason, speak up. This may play a major role in improving the quality of care a resident receives.

• 3

  Talk to the family. For the residents who have family members who visit often and are involved in their loved one's life, going directly to them with a concern you have about your resident's care is sometimes the only way to improve that care. If you know your resident requires a specific treatment or device and have requested it to no avail, tell the family about the situation. Once the family makes a request, the change will occur almost overnight.

• 4

  Ask questions. If you are a family member and you have observed a situation with your loved one that leaves you feeling unsettled, ask why the staff members are doing what they are doing. It is their job to keep you informed at all times of any new changes made to the plan of care and to explain why the change was made. Staying abreast of your loved one's care while in the nursing home is the best way to advocate on his behalf.

• 5

  Demand change. If you notice that your loved one is wearing an adult diaper and you know she is capable of using the toilet, demand that she be taken to the toilet. If she complains of being hungry, demand that she receive a snack between meals. If she states that she calls for help and has to wait too long for someone to come, question this. It should take a nurse no longer than three minutes to answer a call for assistance. No matter what the situation, if you feel for any reason that your loved one is receiving sub-standard care, address the situation. You have a right to participate in her plan of care. Exercise this right.