Can technology cut down on nursing home abuse and neglect in Virginia?
It sounds like something out of a bad dream: nursing home staff members using their paid work hours to watch TV, talk to friends on the phone, leave to run errands and essentially ignore needy residents. Sadly, this is the reality in some nursing homes, but that might all change as modern computer technology becomes more widespread. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you may begin to see electronic point-of-care devices being installed in residents’ rooms. In an effort to improve patient care, reduce paperwork, and ensure that staff members are doing their job, some nursing homes are embracing this new technology. Point-of-care devices allow staff members to record the care they provide to patients in real time, either in a hand-held or a wall-mounted computer system. Because the data is captured electronically, it would no longer be possible for staff members to falsify patient care entries. These devices would also make it easier for supervisors to determine when staff member
