Nursing home patients who are incontinent should be changed as frequently as every two hours to ensure cleanliness and reduce infection risk. Facilities that fail to check if patients are wet or soiled often enough may be guilty of nursing home neglect.
How Many Nursing Home Patients Are Incontinent?
About 50% of nursing home patients are incontinent, according to the Gastroenterology Clinics of North America Journal. Incontinence refers to the inability to go to the bathroom or use the toilet normally.
As the human body ages, it begins to lose fat, muscle mass, and function. Unfortunately, the loss of bladder and bowel control is a common health issue for nursing home patients.
These individuals typically cannot wait long to void or lack the ability to interpret bathroom urges in time. Most often, this happens with patients who have dementia and those who are physically disabled or otherwise confined to a bed or wheelchair.
How Often Should a Nursing Home Change Incontinent Patients?
Patients who wear an adult diaper should be changed about every two hours unless they are dry. If a patient is able, nursing home staff should assist them to the toilet and prompt them to void. Studies show that this can help reduce incontinence in 33% to 60% of patients.
Nursing home staff should be well-equipped to help patients to the toilet or change their adult diapers frequently enough to avoid discomfort, infections, and other medical complications.
This includes having enough supplies and staff on hand to perform regular and emergency changes.
What Happens If a Nursing Home Doesn’t Change a Patient Often Enough?
If a nursing home does not change a patient’s diaper often enough, and they are left wet or soiled for an extended period, they may develop a rash or an infection.
Since elderly patients have thinner skin and limited mobility, they are more susceptible to bed sores, which can easily contract harmful bacteria in a soiled diaper.
How Nursing Home Understaffing Impacts Patients with Incontinence
According to the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), 99% of nursing homes have job openings, 89% of which are hiring for a Registered Nurse (RN).
94% of nursing homes report that recruiting staff is difficult, while 72% say that their workforce is below what it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When nursing homes lack enough staff members, resident needs often get overlooked. Chief among these is the need to be changed or go to the bathroom.
If nurses are stretched too thin between tasks like helping with mealtimes, bathing, and administering medication, it’s common for diaper changes to wait too long or be missed entirely.
This is especially the case for patients who are nonverbal or have limited communication. These individuals may not have the ability to tell staff members they are wet or soiled and must rely on nurses to know when changes are due.
When nurses are otherwise occupied, these patients have no choice but to wait.
Further Reading: How Understaffing Contributes to Negligence and Abuse in Nursing Home
What to Do If Your Loved One Suffers Nursing Home Neglect
If your elderly family member is a victim of nursing home neglect, an experienced lawyer can help you put a stop to it. An attorney will walk you through reporting the nursing home, gathering evidence, and filing a lawsuit to get justice for your loved one.
At Mazow | McCullough, PC, we have decades of combined experience helping Massachusetts and New Hampshire residents like you advocate for their elderly family members.
We can help you gather evidence to prove nursing home neglect and will fight for your loved one’s right to justice for any harm they endured.
Call Mazow | McCullough, PC Today for a Free Consultation
Contact Mazow | McCullough, PC in Salem, MA today to schedule your no-cost case consultation at (978) 744-8000 or toll-free at (855) 693-9084.
