Nursing Home Abuse: How To Spot the Signs

There are currently over 3.2 million adults living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in the U.S. According to a recent study, forty percent of adults will enter a nursing home facility at some point in their lives and this number is only expected to grow over the next few years. Many of these residents are well-cared for but many may also fall victim to abuse. Elder abuse can be difficult to detect and for every reported case, there may be 5 unreported cases. Nursing home abuse is a very serious concern because seniors who have been abused have a 300 percent greater chance of death in the 3 years following the abuse. A staggering 1 out of 6 residents may be the victim of abuse or neglect each year.

According to a congressional report that examined nursing home records conducted over a two-year period, nearly 1 in 3 nursing homes were cited for violations that had the potential to cause harm and almost 10 percent of all nursing homes have violations that caused actual harm, serious injury, and placed them at a risk for death. A survey of nursing home residents showed that up to 44% of residents reported that they had been abused at some time in residency and nearly all of those surveyed have seen another resident abused at some point. A study conducted by the U.S. General Accountability Office revealed that state regulators are likely to miss signs of abuse. The GAO found that 70 percent of state surveys missed significant deficiencies and 15 percent did not notice actual harm.

Nursing home abuse can involve physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, resident to resident abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect. Physical abuse is a condition or event which causes physical harm. It may be intentional such as hitting or it may be due to neglect including overuse of restraints and lack of physical care. Sexual abuse is unwanted sexual attention or exploitation; this includes sexual attention given to a patient who is unable to express his or her wishes. Psychological abuse may not be easily identified but it can include yelling, criticizing, humiliating or shaming the patient. Patients who are experiencing psychological abuse may exhibit behaviors. Resident to resident abuse occurs when one resident is allowed to abuse another. Resident to resident abuse can be physical, sexual, or psychological. Nursing home residents should be protected from other residents at all times. Financial exploitation occurs when a caregiver takes advantage of access to a patient’s financial situation, steals, or otherwise compromises the patient’s financial status. Neglect is usually a result of inadequate staffing. Neglect occurs when a patients needs are not taken care of such as personal hygiene or the patient is not provided food, water, or clothing. Neglect can contribute to medical conditions such as bed sores, skin infections, malnutrition, and dehydration.

Possible signs of abuse may include broken bones or fractures, bruising, cuts, bed sores, frequent infections, signs of dehydration, mood swings, reclusiveness, refusal to eat, unexplained weight loss, poor physical appearance, changes in mental state, or caregivers that don’t want patients left alone. Not all patients fall victim to nursing home abuse but if you notice any of these signs or anything that seems different from usual about your loved one, it may be worth investigating if they are being abused.