Nursing Home Abuse
As more of our population grows older each year, we are depending on elder care more and more. Unfortunately each year, there are over one million reports of elder abuse in nursing homes. According to numerous studies, the most common types of elder abuse fall under the following categories:
- Neglect: Neglect occurs when a caregiver is negligent or indifferent to the well-being of the elderly person under their care. If a nursing home does not provide the necessary level of care required for the well-being of their resident, they may be negligent. Often, it is simply due to understaffing problems at the nursing home and not the intent of the staff.
- Abuse: Abuse of nursing home residents by a staff member or other residents includes physical, mental, and even sexual abuse.
- Physical Abuse includes everything from physical evidence of assault, such as bruises and broken bones, to untreated infections and bedsores.
- Mental Abuse may be more difficult to detect by the loved ones of a resident, but it can be just as damaging as physical abuse. This type of abuse includes isolation, threats, or intentional negligence.
- Sexual Abuse at nursing homes involves sexual harassment or sexual conduct that is forced on a resident without consent, and can also cause severe physical and emotional harm.
Common Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect:
Some common warning signs of abuse or neglect in nursing home include but are not limited to the following:
- Sudden, severe weight loss, or other signs of malnourishment
- Bedsores: Bedsores are ulcers, caused by pressure placed on parts of the body. They can be caused by a number of factors, including an immobile resident not being turned appropriately. Bed sores vary in severity, and often initially appear as persistent red areas on the skin. If left untreated, these sores can become so deep that they reach the muscle, bone or tendon. The elderly have a higher risk of developing bed sores due to thin skin, malnutrition, and poor circulation. This type of neglect is preventable, but healing becomes more difficult if the sores are left untreated.
- Frequent bruising, cuts or open wounds
- Unexplained fractures or broken bones
- Over-medication, which is characterized by symptoms of lethargy, permanent involuntary muscle movements, seizures, and even sudden death.
Contact Our Experienced Attorneys
When nursing home abuse is suspected, residents and family members often feel angry and frustrated over violation of trust by a facility that was supposed to care properly for a loved one. With over four decades of experience, the personal injury attorneys at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm are extremely knowledgeable about all types of nursing home abuse and neglect. If you suspect a loved one has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, contact our office immediately. We will provide you with a free no-obligation consultation and explain your legal rights.
Resource Links
Visit our website specifically dedicated to nursing home abuse and neglect for additional information on what type of injuries to look for if your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home.
National Center on Elder Abuse: Where to Report
Visit the National Center on Elder Abuse website for information on who to contact to report suspected abuse or neglect of your loved one in a nursing home. The site contains nursing home abuse hotlines for each state.
Liability Coverage for Nursing Homes Survey Results. December 2005
Nursing Home Abuse News
- Diuretics Increase Risk of Nursing Home Falls Falls are a leading cause of injury for nursing home residents, and the consequences can be life-threatening. Many elderly residents are prone to serious fall-related complications, including broken bones, bruises, and brain injury. Even a fear of falling can harm a resident’s quality of life, causing them to limit their mobility and lose muscle tone or balance. Several classes of medications have already been shown to increase the risk for falls, including sedatives and antidepressants. New research shows that diuretics, or water pills, can also increase fall risk because they cause dizziness and dehydration. Although it has long been suspected that the use of diuretics contributes to falls, this study is one of the first to conclusively show a causal link. Researchers studied more than 1,000 nursing home residents at the Boston-based Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, all over the age of 60. Results showed that residents who received a new prescription ....
- Nursing Homes Force Feeding Tubes on Elderly Dementia Patients The decision to allow the insertion of a feeding tube is one of the toughest decisions that families of elderly nursing home residents have to face. Seniors with advanced dementia eventually develop problems eating and swallowing as their disease progresses, and they are unable to speak for themselves. Family members are left struggling with the emotional and controversial decision to allow tube feeding in order to meet the needs of their loved ones. A recent New York Times report could make this decision even more difficult. Tube feeding is an invasive procedure with serious risks, but there is no evidence that the procedure improves survival rates or prolongs patients’ quality of life. Nevertheless, about a third of elderly nursing home residents with advanced dementia receive feeding tubes based largely on misguided decisions. Basic time and care can help seniors who have difficulty eating and drinking, and artificial nutrition should only be used as ....
- Nursing Home Residents Given Drugs That Nearly Doubled Their Risk of Death Medication errors are an unfortunate reality of our healthcare system, as far too many nursing homes are understaffed and ill prepared to meet resident’s needs. These errors not only threaten the health and safety of vulnerable elderly residents, they also cost taxpayers millions of dollars. The New York Times Old Age Blog revealed a shocking new report from the Department of Health and Human Services that shows hundreds of thousands of elderly nursing home residents with dementia were overmedicated with strong anti-psychotic drugs that increased their risk of death. These drugs include Seroquel, Risperdal, and Zyprexa, which are meant to treat serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia. There is ample evidence that drug companies have aggressively marketed these anti-psychotic drugs to dementia patients, even though such use is potentially lethal. A series of recent lawsuits and settlements show that drug companies routinely put profits before ....
- Nursing Homes Seek Health Care Law Exemption Many nursing home employees who provide critical care for our nation’s seniors lack adequate, affordable health care of their own. According to recent estimates, one in four nursing home employees do not have health care coverage. The new health care law is supposed to fix the problem. Beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act will require that all employers who have 50 or more full-time employees offer affordable health care coverage or risk paying a penalty. A New York Times cover story sheds light on an intense lobbying effort by nursing home and home care agency executives who are seeking an exemption from the law. They argue that their facilities heavily depend on Medicare and Medicaid for revenue, but the programs’ low reimbursement rates make it difficult to provide health insurance to employees. When nursing homes do offer health insurance, the benefits are often limited and ....
