Each year, it seems that there are a handful of nursing home abuse or neglect cases that make the news that seems particularly horrifying. The year 2019 was no different. One shocking case that stood out this year was that of an incapacitated Arizona woman who became pregnant after she was raped by an attendant while residing in a long-term care facility there. Fortunately, sexual abuse isn’t the most common type of ill-treatment that occurs in these types of facilities. Other types of abuse and neglect occur quite often, though.
Data compiled by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) shows that physical abuse is the most common type of ill-treatment that nursing home residents face. At least 29% of the residents who are abused in these types of facilities suffer bone fractures, skin tears and unexplained bruising at their caregivers’ hands.
NCEA data also shows that psychological abuse happens almost as frequently as physical abuse in long-term living facilities like these. At least 21% of those residents who are abused are subjected to psychological abuse. Individuals who are subjected to such treatment may become socially withdrawn.
The third leading type of ill-treatment that individuals residing in assisted living facilities are subjected to is financial exploitation and gross neglect. These factors combined result in 14% of all abuse claims. Residents that have been subjected to this type of treatment often are dehydrated, have suspicious wounds, poor hygiene and unexplained weight loss. Nursing home residents may have their medications withheld from them. An individual’s health may decline rapidly as a result.
Sexual abuse only accounts for 7% of residents’ ill-treatment claims. Stained undergarments, bruising of the genitals or chest and unexplainable sexually transmitted diseases that a resident may have may point to the fact that they’ve been taken advantage of.
Abuse and neglect, even if it only happens once or for a short time, can have a lasting impact on its victims. This is why you need to consult with a nursing home negligence attorney in Hackensack if your loved one has been treated inappropriately. It’s only by holding their abuser accountable for their actions that you’ll feel comfortable in knowing that they won’t abuse anyone else.
