9 Biggest Myths About Nursing Homes

Bedsores are just part of getting older. Falls can’t be prevented. UTIs are inevitable. Nursing homes have plenty of staff. These are common beliefs about nursing home care, but they aren’t always true.

Too often, families are told a serious injury was unavoidable when the real cause was nursing home abuse or neglect.

Myths can distort what to expect from a nursing home, keeping you from asking questions, moving your loved one, or taking legal action when something is wrong.

Knowing the facts helps you protect your loved one and hold a negligent facility accountable. Here are the 9 biggest myths about nursing homes and what families should know instead.

1. Myth: Nursing Home Neglect Only Happens at “Bad” Facilities

The reality is that nursing home neglect and abuse can occur in any long-term care setting. Even facilities with good reputations, high ratings, or caring staff can experience incidents involving inadequate care, mistreatment, or failure to protect residents.

Families should look beyond a facility’s reputation and pay attention to how their loved one is actually being treated.

Warning signs to watch for include:

• Frequent falls
• Medication problems
• Poor hygiene
• Sudden behavioral changes
• Unexplained injuries
• Untreated bedsores

If something does not seem right, families have the right to ask questions, report concerns, and take steps to protect their loved one.

2. Myth: Bedsores Are Normal, Not Neglect

Bedsores, also called pressure ulcers or pressure injuries, are not simply an unavoidable part of aging. Some nursing home residents are at higher risk because of limited mobility, poor nutrition, or certain medical conditions.

However, nursing homes must take steps to prevent avoidable bedsores by regularly repositioning residents, keeping them nourished and hydrated, and using proper equipment.

An untreated or worsening pressure injury deserves attention, especially if staff failed to follow the resident’s care plan, monitor their skin, or provide treatment.

In fact, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance identifies an avoidable stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcer as an example of potential neglect.

3. Myth: Falls Aren’t Preventable

Falls are common among older adults, but that does not mean every nursing home fall is unavoidable. Nursing homes are expected to assess residents for fall risk and develop individualized plans to reduce it.

Poor lighting, unsafe flooring, medication side effects, weakness, and inadequate supervision can all contribute to falls and broken bones, but many of these risks can be addressed.

A fall may indicate neglect when staff fails to recognize a resident’s risks or provide proper care and supervision. After a fall, the facility should investigate what happened, assess the resident, and take steps to prevent another incident.

“Repeated falls may show that the facility failed to update the care plan after a previous fall, provide enough supervision, or respond to a known risk.”

– Ricky LeBlanc, Nursing Home Attorney at Sokolove Law

Families should ask questions after an unexplained fall, and especially after repeated falls, if the facility cannot say what happened or how it will prevent the next one.

4. Myth: Elders Are Just Prone to UTIs

Older adults may have a higher risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), but UTIs are not simply an unavoidable part of aging. Inside a nursing home, proper hygiene, adequate hydration, regular bathroom use, and good catheter care can all lower the risk.

A UTI may mean the facility is failing to provide that basic care. Repeated or serious UTIs deserve attention, particularly when staff fails to recognize symptoms or respond to changes in a resident’s condition. Nursing homes are also expected to avoid unnecessary catheter use because catheters increase infection risk.

5. Myth: Medication Errors Are Just Mistakes

Medication errors can be much more than harmless mistakes. Giving the wrong medication, wrong dose, wrong timing, or skipping a prescribed medication entirely can seriously harm a nursing home resident, leading to hospitalization, permanent injury, and even wrongful death.

Nursing homes have systems in place to safely order, administer, monitor, and review residents’ medications. When staff repeatedly make errors, fail to monitor for side effects, or give unnecessary medications, it may indicate inadequate care or neglect.

Families should take unexplained changes in a loved one’s condition seriously and ask whether a medication problem could be involved.

6. Myth: Nursing Homes Have Enough Staff to Care for Residents

Nursing homes can be understaffed, and inadequate staffing puts residents at risk. When too few nurses or aides are available, residents may wait longer for help with daily life in a nursing home, such as bathing, eating, toileting, or getting out of bed.

Missed or delayed care can also contribute to preventable problems such as falls and pressure injuries. Despite staffing requirements, understaffing remains a persistent concern.

Signs that staffing problems may be affecting your loved one’s care include:

• Missed meals or medications
• Poor hygiene
• Repeated falls
• Unanswered call lights
• Unexplained injuries

If you notice these problems, ask whether the facility has enough staff to meet residents’ needs.

7. Myth: You Can’t Remove Your Loved One from Nursing Homes

Families can generally move a loved one out of a long-term care facility if the facility no longer meets their needs or the family believes another setting would be safer. The exact process depends on the resident’s circumstances, the facility’s agreement, and state law.

If you are concerned about abuse, neglect, unsafe conditions, or inadequate care, you do not have to keep your loved one in the facility simply because they have already been admitted.

8. Myth: There’s Nothing You Can Do if Your Loved One Is Abused

The idea that families are powerless when a loved one is abused or neglected is a myth. Nursing home residents have rights and protections under federal law, and families can speak up when those rights may have been violated.

If you believe your loved one may be experiencing abuse or neglect, you can:

• Report the abuse to government agencies: Contact your state’s nursing home regulatory agency or appropriate authorities.
• Anonymously report the abuse online: Submit a nursing home complaint without providing your identity.
• Get help from an ombudsman: A long-term care ombudsman can advocate for residents and help address concerns.
• Contact a nursing home abuse lawyer: An attorney can review the circumstances and explain your family’s legal options.

If something seems wrong, you have options to report your concerns, get support, and protect your loved one’s rights.

9. Myth: You Can’t Sue a Nursing Home for Abuse or Neglect

Nursing homes can be held legally accountable when abuse or neglect causes harm to a resident. Depending on the circumstances, a resident or their family may be able to sue the facility and pursue compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, relocation costs, wrongful death, and other losses.

The average nursing home abuse settlement is about $400,000, although individual case values vary based on the severity of the harm and other factors.

Our trusted legal partners have secured this nursing home abuse compensation:

• $18.2 million for a woman in Rhode Island who suffered a fatal heart attack
• $2 million to a California woman with dementia who was denied critical care
• $1.75 million for a Massachusetts man who died in a preventable fire
• $1.5 million on behalf of a Minnesota woman with Stage 4 pressure ulcers
• $1.18 million for a neglected nursing home resident in Indiana

If you believe a loved one was harmed because a nursing home failed to provide appropriate care, an experienced attorney can review the circumstances, explain your family’s legal options, and file a nursing home abuse lawsuit on your behalf.

The Truth About Nursing Homes

Abuse and neglect can happen anywhere, even in facilities with good reputations, high ratings, and caring staff. Nursing homes are complex environments where staffing shortages, high workloads, inadequate training, and poor oversight can put residents at risk.

Many facilities are also for-profit businesses, and financial pressures can influence staffing, resources, and other decisions that affect care.

When a facility prioritizes its bottom line over a resident’s basic needs, the consequences can be serious.

Families should not accept unexplained injuries, untreated health problems, or repeated failures in care as simply part of growing older.

Call us at (855) 264-6310 or get a free case review now to learn more about your legal options.