Residents of nursing homes should receive the finest care available and have legal protections for them. Unfortunately, far too many individuals experience abuse in one way or another.
By responding to these occurrences promptly, long-term damage can be avoided.
All forms of abuse in nursing homes have the potential to be extremely harmful – visit https://rhllaw.com/blog/nursing-home-negligence/do-staff-shortages-increase-the-chances-of-nursing-home-abuse/ for more details.
Table of Contents
Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Physical
When a family member sustains a physical injury or injuries at the hands of an attendant or another resident, this happens. More than nine percent of caregivers acknowledged physically assaulting patients. This is supported by a 2020 World Health Organization research.
Here are some instances:
- kicked or punched
- bound by knots or straps
- shoved or pushed
Bleeding, bruising, and shattered bones are typical symptoms. It’s possible to do this to any patient. However, there may be an increased risk for people who have cognitive problems like Alzheimer’s disease.
Without the right medical care, it can result in fatalities or very serious injuries.
There may be financial assistance available to cover hospital expenses and psychological distress. To get paid, you might make personal injury claims as opposed to the facility.
Neglect
When personnel neglect to administer appropriate medical assistance, this happens. The resident’s physical and mental health suffers as a result.
In contrast, neglect results from staff members’ negligence. Understaffing frequently results in higher rates of negligence. Neglect is exemplified by:
Errors in Medication
Your loved ones might depend on the personnel to give them their medicine. Nonetheless, mistakes can be made by individuals when administering medication to elderly patients. This may result in significant, potentially fatal problems.
Inadequate Personal Cleaning
Workers are required to change into new clothes and assist residents with bathing to maintain their hygiene. If they don’t, a resident can experience health issues and spend hours or days in filthy garments. This affects our health – read here for more details.
Malnutrition or Dehydration
They might not provide adequate water or food. As a result, an aged person may experience extreme weight loss, dehydration, or starvation.
Other Concerns
- Not informing physicians or family members of accidents or diseases promptly.
- Disregarding a client’s grievances.
- Leaving them alone for extended lengths of time.
Sexual
This happens if a resident is the victim of unwelcome touching, groping, or sexual interaction of any kind. In addition to mental damage, sexual abuse can result in physical harm such as scratches and bruises as well as STDs. Unbelievably, it frequently happens to persons who are incapable of giving permission or who are incapacitated.
Financial
It occurs when someone defrauds an elderly person or coerces them into giving them money.
- Abusing a power of attorney to alter a living person’s will
- limiting the president’s ability to access their personal bank account
- pocketing goods, cash, or credit cards from a resident
- stealing bank statements or other financial documents from an occupant
There could not be any injuries on the body. However, it may result in severe anxiety. It might also imply that they’re being defrauded of the funds required to cover their long-term care expenses.
Emotional/Verbal/Psychological
It happens when someone makes fun of a resident or intimidates them. The WHO reports that more than 32% of employees in assisted living facilities reported emotionally abusing clients by:
- dictating to a resident what they may and can’t do
- disparaging the resident’s looks or intelligence
- separating elderly people from their friends, family, and other residents
- Using force
Individuals who experience trauma may experience chronic mental health issues. This covers conditions including PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.
Abandonment
This frequently happens when a caregiver abandons an elderly person who needs assistance from another to care for themselves. It’s also possible for assisted living facilities to forsake them.
Self-Neglect
It happens when an elderly person is unable to care for himself. This might result in serious health problems.
Living alone as an older adult might lead to self-neglect. If a resident exhibits any indications of neglect while residing in the facility, staff members could be held accountable.
Who Coerces the Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse?
Staff
Members may mistreat residents out of rage or frustration. They might also disregard their fundamental medical requirements. That’s if the establishment is understaffed or if they haven’t received the appropriate training.
Nevertheless, there’s never a good reason to hurt customers. Anyone who has mistreated or ignored an elderly person ought to face consequences for their behavior.
Administrators
Decisions made by long-term care institutions have an impact on the caliber of care given to residents. Regretfully, administrators could become avaricious and prioritize money over patient care. This can be achieved by understaffing the facility, hiring subpar employees, or neglecting to implement safety precautions.
Additionally, they’re capable of verbally or emotionally abusing residents. Delaying answers to important issues and worries can lead to this.
Other Patients
Should employees neglect to prevent hazardous residents from hurting other people? They may also share some of the guilt.
Family Members
They may also mistreat elderly relatives when they’re visiting. Employees need to watch how family members interact with one another and look out for any warning indications of abuse.