Nursing Home Residents Face Greater Surgical Complications
When an elderly individual is under the care of a nursing home, we expect that since they are under constant surveillance their health will be monitored and taken care of at the best capacity. Based on a new study that was published in the Annals of Surgery, the findings suggest that the elderly who stay in a nursing home may suffer from more complications than other elderly who live on their own.
The example states that 12 out of a 100 nursing home residents who just had their appendix removed died within a month of their procedure compared to 2 out of 100 elderly who live on their own. The study is alarming because the surgical procedure for appendix removal is generally considered “low risk.” The study looked at people who died from abdominal surgery, removing of the gallbladder, appendix or colon, or surgery for bleeding ulcers. The death rates were higher for nursing home residents in all the categories. Nursing home residents also need much more extra treatment as a result of these surgical procedures although they are as a whole considered a higher risk surgical group. Doctor’s who are involved in the study state that the findings should be shared with nursing home patient’s families, in order to weigh the risks of surgical intervention versus not performing the surgery.
While not all elderly face substandard care during their surgeries, families should still talk to the doctors and figure out what the risks are and what options will decrease the risk for your loved one. The choices for your loved one’s care should always be a priority and always be explained to you. Fast decisions and leaving the care to a facility who might not have your loved one’s best interest at heart can put your loved one ‘s life in serious danger.
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