Nursing home abuse is common in the United States. This is the sad reality that vulnerable older adults must face. There are many different reasons as to why nursing home abuse occurs. A main reason is that the administrator might be focusing on profit rather than safety. Administrators might not be properly accessing or training their employees, therefore leading them to be unfit to care for older people.
There are many different types of nursing home abuse, but elder abuse is defined as any intentional act by a caregiver or another person that causes harm to vulnerable adults. The different types of abuse include physical, emotional, sexual, outright neglect and/or financial exploitation. Physical abuse is characterized by hitting, slapping, and misuse of restraints. Emotional abuse is characterized by harassment, threats, insults, and any other non-physical abuse. Sexual abuse is characterized by any non-consensual sexual contact. Neglect is characterized by anything that deprives a resident from their primary needs of survival and dignity. Financial exploitation is characterized by the illegal taking of funds. There are different warning signs that a person may be being abused. Big warning signs include bruises, fractures, malnutrition, bedsores, as well as any changes to financial accounts.
Preventative Measures
There are different things one can do to prevent nursing home abuse. Doing regular checkups with loved ones in a nursing home will allow for visual and verbal communication to identify any warning signs. Before placing a loved one in any nursing home, make sure to do some research about the facility. Facilities are required to report and investigate any kind of abuse that occurs in their facilities through their state agency, which is public information. It’s important to review whether a facility has a history of any types of abuse.
These are the steps you should take if you believe your loved one is experiencing abuse. Immediately tell the administrator. If you notice that the administrator does not adequately respond to your concerns, record the dates and time you have communicated with the administrator or facility with your concern of abuse and contact the state agency which regulates nursing homes. You can also contact the police to report the abuse. Nursing home abuse does occur, so the best thing to do is to constantly check on your loved ones.
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By: Cindy Birrueta
Office Support Specialist at WellPath Partners
Health Care Administration Student, California State University, Long Beach
