Understanding Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home neglect and abuse is far too common – but it is also preventable.

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The Nursing Home is a Necessity for Many Families

Few people place their loved one in a nursing home without having some reservations about that loved one’s well-being. People often look to nursing homes only when other options have been exhausted and they’ve made the decision to trust a facility to oversee the care and well-being of a family member.

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How Nursing Home Abuse Happens

Nursing home residents typically have special needs. Some residents have health problems that require constant care. Others need supervision to ensure they don’t cause themselves or others harm. These are just a few of the responsibilities of a nursing home - to provide care, supervision, medications and basic needs for its residents. When a nursing home fails to provide these things or actively mistreats residents, they are perpetrating abuse.

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How Big is the Problem?

Perhaps the most alarming thing about nursing home abuse is what we don’t know. One report found that more than one quarter of all severe cases of nursing home abuse go unreported. Research of nursing home abuse is not conducted thoroughly or frequently enough to show us how serious the problem truly is. However, previous studies have suggested that one out of every three nursing homes hosts some sort of abuse toward residents. The impact of that abuse is profound: Elderly people who have experienced abuse have a 300 percent higher risk of death than those who have not.

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Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

• Fall-related injuries, such as broken hips, wrists or ankles

• Medication errors

• Bed sores

• Head injuries

• Malnutrition

• Lack of proper hygiene

Types of Nursing Home Abuse - Physical

Physical abuse of nursing home residents includes slapping, hitting, pushing or any other form of physical aggression. Signs of physical elder abuse include bruises, welts, cuts, fractures or other types of wounds.

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Types of Nursing Home Abuse - Emotional

Abuse can also be inflicted psychologically.

Emotional abuse can take the form of

shouting, deliberately ignoring patients,

demeaning or ridiculing patients, or

isolating patients. An emotionally abused

resident might show signs of anxiety or

depression. They might also seem distant

and unwilling to talk about their experiences

in the nursing home.

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Types of Nursing Home Abuse - Sexual Assault

One of the most horrendous forms of serious abuse in nursing homes is sexual abuse. The Office of the Inspector General uncovered 134 cases of abuse of nursing home residents severe enough to require emergency treatment. Most of those cases involved sexual assault.

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Types of Nursing Home Abuse - Neglect

Not all forms of elder abuse involve intentional

or deliberate actions. If a resident doesn’t get

the care, medication or food they require, they

will be more prone to injury, illness and death.

Neglect can occur because staff members don’t

put in the time and effort required, or it can occur

because a facility has failed to adequately staff a

nursing home.

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Who are the Abusers?

Employees of a nursing home - nurses,

aides, attendants, etc. - can all perpetrate

abuse against residents. However, many

cases of abuse involve other residents.

Resident-on-resident abuse might not

directly involve a nursing home’s staff, but it

is often up to staff members to identify and

prevent this form of abuse from happening.

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A Problem That Will Only Get Worse

There are around 1.4 million nursing home residents in the United States. That number is expected to grow as our population ages. For example, in 1994, there were 33 million people in the United States aged 65 and older, accounting for one out of every eight Americans. In 2030, there will be 71 million older Americans, accounting for one out of every five Americans. Our aging population will likely strain nursing homes’ resources and, without the implementation of safeguards, expose a new generation to nursing home abuse.

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You Can Take Action

If you have witnessed or suspect nursing home abuse, it is vital that you speak up. Preventing abuse requires the efforts of nursing home staffs, authorities and concerned family members of residents. It is only after negligent caregivers and facilities are identified and held accountable that the abuse will stop.

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Contact Bert Louthianto Learn More

If you or a loved one has experienced nursing home abuse, contact Bert Louthian to learn more about your legal options. We will investigate your case and help you get justice for your loved one. Call us today at (803) 454-1200 or fill out our online contact form to get started.

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