Nursing homes can be settings where elderly individuals can receive the extra care and attention they may need later in life. Tragically, however, they can also be places where elderly people are subject to neglect or abuse – and statistics reveal just how prevalent nursing home abuse occurs in the U.S.

The Facts about Nursing Home Abuse in the U.S.

elderly woman lying in bed

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse:

  1. About 1 in every 10 nursing home residents will be the target of abuse while living in a nursing home – This abuse can be verbal, physical and/or sexual in nature.
  2. About 30 percent of all nursing homes in the U.S. contain residents who have been victimized by abuse – In fact, data collected of the past few decades has even indicated at as many as 90 percent of all nursing homes in the nation are sites of abuse against residents.
  3. In about 9 in every 10 cases of nursing home abuse, the abuser is someone the victim knows – While abusers can be the staff of nursing homes, they can also be other residents and even family members of the victims.
  4. Less than 20 percent of nursing home abuse incidents are even reported to authorities – In many cases, this is because victims are afraid to speak out against their abusers.
  5. People with dementia and similar impairments are far more likely to be the victims of abuse – Tragically, abusers tend to target some of the most vulnerable nursing home residents, namely those who may not be able to remember or report the abuse due to serious ailments like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
  6. About 90 percent of nursing homes don’t have sufficient staff – This highlights how big of an issue understaffing is at nursing homes and how a lack of staff seems to directly correlate with incidents of abuse.

How to Protect Your Elderly Loved Ones

If you have an elderly loved one living in a nursing home, here’s what you can do to protect them:

  • Research the facility where your loved one is living and find out whether that facility has faced allegations of nursing home abuse in the past.
  • Know the signs and symptoms of nursing home abuse.
  • Regularly check up on your loved one and ask questions about the care (s)he is receiving at the home.
  • Get help ASAP if you notice any indication of nursing home abuse or neglect.

Contact a Kingston Personal Injury Attorney at Charles N. Rock, P.L.L.C.

Has your elderly loved one been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect? If so, you can turn to Kingston Personal Injury Attorney Charles N. Rock for aggressive legal advocacy and effective help fighting back.

To find out more about your best options for moving forward, contact us today to schedule a free, no obligations initial consultation. You can set up this meeting by calling (845) 383–1170 or by emailing us using the contact form on this page. To ensure that you have the legal support you need now, Attorney Charles N. Rock can meet you at your home or a hospital when needed.

From our offices based in Kingston, New York, Charles N. Rock provides the highest quality legal services to clients throughout New York, including those in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, New Paltz, Hyde Park, Ellenville, Saugerties, Ulster County, Dutchess County, and Orange County.