How to Detect Signs of Patient Neglect

Sometimes patients suffer from neglect as a result of overworked and understaffed hospital staff. Other times patients are neglected because the hospital facility is not a quality facility. Whatever the reason for the neglect, finding out about the problem is the first step to fixing the problem. Here are a few tips for detecting signs of patient neglect.

Instructions

• 1

  Smell around. While unpleasant odors in a hospital is not a dead giveaway of improper patient treatment, if you find that your loved one is not being bathed or normal hygiene practices are not being performed, then its time to intervene.

• 2

  Check the patient for signs of neglect. A tell-tale sign of patient neglect is unexplained bed sores. If the hospital staff is too busy or understaffed to routinely move the patient to prevent bedsores, it's time for you to be the patient advocate to get the situation rectified.

• 3

  Examine the sheets and linen. A sheet that has been soiled and dirty for several days is an obvious sign of patient neglect.

• 4

  Ask if the patient is hungry or thirsty. Hospitals are notorious for providing unpalatable food, and the patient must realize that the food is not going to taste like home cooking. However, if the patient is not routinely offered food or water, it's time to search for a different facility.

• 5

  Speak with the staff. Make conversation with everyone from the person who cleans the floor, to the doctors in charge. While a doctor may not be involved with the day-to-day care of the patient, nurses and the janitorial staff all view the patient and the patient's care from a different perspective. The guy cleaning the floor may be able to offer a different perspective than a nurse or doctor will.

• 6

  Listen to your gut. Many times people ignore the importance of intuition. If you feel that the place isn't right, follow your gut.