Mistreatment among senior citizens continues to be a nationwide crisis with an estimated three to five million older adults being victim of some form of abuse in 2011, according to the Elder Maltreatment Alliance.
Among a random sample of 452 adults with relatives 65 or older in nursing home care in Michigan, nearly one quarter of the respondents reported at least one incident of physical abuse by nursing home staff, according to a recent study undertaken at Michigan State University.
Limitations in activities of daily living, older adult behavioral difficulties, and previous victimization by non-staff perpetrators have been linked to a greater chance of senior citizens experiencing physical abuse. Caregivers who had been abused by patients, in comparison to those who had not, were found to be more likely to direct abusive behavior back toward the patient in their care in a University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey study.
Most nursing homes experienced verbal, physical material, psychological and - to a lesser degree - sexual abuse in a study done by the Department of Health Policy & Management at the University of Pittsburgh. Resident-to-resident abuse is also considered common enough to be an issue of concern impacting both the quality of life and safety of many residents. Read the full details here:
Elder Abuse: An Impending National Crisis?
If you have a loved one who is a resident at a nursing home, pay close attention to their care. Look for signs of abuse such as unexplained signs of trauma. Many nursing home residents often suffer from dementia or some other mental incapacity and are extremely vulnerable to abusive nursing home employees. If you find signs of unexplained trauma, immediately contact the Director of Nursing and ask them to explain the bruising or cuts. If they can’t, you may want to consider relocating your loved one to a new facility.
If you or someone you love has been injured due to nursing home abuse or negligence, call the professionals at Crandall & Pera Law for a free case evaluation.