‘Compassion Fatigue’ May Lead to Nursing Home Negligence

While some cases of nursing home are clearly intended to be malicious in nature, improper care that takes place in nursing homes can sometimes be attributed to more complicated issues relating to the stresses of working in the healthcare industry.

One study recently published by the Archives of Internal Medicine determined that nursing home workers can sometimes have their ability to properly care for patients affected by what is known as “compassion fatigue.” The study found that people whose job is to regularly be professional while caring for frail, elderly, and/or sick patients can often be overcome by feelings of sadness, doubt, and powerlessness over time.

When this type of grief is not treated, it can lead to depression, emotional outbursts, and substance abuse in some cases. Furthermore, it can result in a disconnect between a nursing home employee and their job/patients, resulting in the delayed recognition of health issues in patients and a slower response to them.

Compassion fatigue can also manifest itself as secondary trauma, or when caregivers draw on the pain and suffering of their patients and link themselves to it because of unresolved traumas in their own lives. This can also affect the ability of a caregiver to effectively take care of his/her patients and could inadvertently lead to some type of negligent nursing home care, McKnight’s Long Term Care News reported.

If you or a loved one has suffered any type of nursing home abuse or negligent care while in a home, call Sokolove Law today to learn more about pursuing a nursing home abuse lawsuit. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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