Massachusetts Elder Abuse Lawyer Advises on Nursing Home Safety Culture Factors

Boston Massachusetts nursing home abuse attorney Bernard J. Hamill says a 2011 federal study of safety “culture” in nursing homes highlights the need to consider certain factors in choosing the right facility for a loved one.

Hamill, founder of the Massachusetts personal injury lawyers of Hamill Law Group, says the multiple factors were looked at in the study to evaluate the atmosphere regarding elder safety in nursing homes. The safety culture factors measured included:
perceptions of resident safety
communication about incidents
supervisor actions promoting resident safety
organizational learning
management support for resident safety
training & skills
compliance with safety procedures
communication openness between staff
nonpunitive response to error
adequate staffing

Two overriding factors in the study eclipsed all other variables: first, whether the nursing facility was a private for-profit corporation or whether it was governmental or non-profit; the second variable was the size of the nursing home. For-profits fared significantly worse in promoting a culture of safety. Larger nursing homes were worse than smaller facilities in promoting a safe culture for elder residents.
The report found nonprofit/government nursing homes:
had a higher average percent positive response than for profit nursing homes on all 12 patient safety culture composites.
had a higher percentage of respondents who indicated they would tell their friends that this is a safe nursing home for their family
had a higher percentage of respondents who gave their nursing home an overall rating on resident safety of “Excellent” or “Very Good”
The study on resident safety revealed that 3 times more residents of large nursing homes (over 200 beds) described the safety culture as “poor” as compared with smaller nursing homes (under 49 beds).

Massachusetts Elder Abuse Lawyer Advises on Nursing Home Safety Culture Factors