It happens all too often throughout the United States, including the Saint Louis, Missouri, area. A loved one enters a nursing home, and the family finds out that the elderly loved one becomes a victim of abuse or neglect. A daughter from Minneapolis, Minnesota, suspected that her 94 year old father, a World War II veteran, was not receiving the proper care after her family admitted him to the nursing home. Her father is suffering from dementia and is legally blind, and he was unable to talk about any potential neglect. She could not prove any neglect, but noticed a worsened condition of her father since entering the facility. How did she prove the neglect?

She installed a camera in the room where her father was staying. The footage she retrieved was disturbing. It showed an aide eating his lunch while he slept in his bed beside the tray. And this was just the beginning. The daughter also noted that his room smells, a likely culprit is a lack of care, such as not having his clothes changed for three days.

Another time, she noted that he had not been checked on for in 8 hours, not even after falling out of bed. She also cites that he is malnourished because he is not properly fed and does not have access to something to drink. Per doctor’s orders, he should have someone assist him in eating each meal.

It is often a very difficult decision to move a loved one into a nursing home, but often it is a necessity. It is important, however, to make sure that your loved one is properly cared for while at the facility, to assure that they do not become a victim of nursing home neglect and to assure that they get the proper care they deserve.

Source: CBS Minnesota, “‘This Is Serious Neglect’: Woman Installs Secret Camera In Father’s Nursing Home,” By Jennifer Mayerle, April 5, 2017