The national elder abuse incidence study, conducted by the national center on elder abuse at the american public human services association for the u.s. Department of health and human services, examined the prevalence of elder abuse in the united states. It found approximately 450,0 elderly persons were abused or neglected wallace, 2005.

While the majority of abuse happens in the home by a family member, there is a rise in the amount of elderly abuse being reported in nursing homes. In 20, states were asked to indicate the number of elder abuse reports received from nursing homes. Based on figures from 54 states, the total number of reports was 472,813 teaster, 2003.

A study prepared by the minority staff of the special investigations division of the house government reform committee found that 30% of nursing homes in the united states, 5,283 facilities, were cited for almost 9,0 instances of abuse from 19 to 2001 waxman, 2001. The report stated that 1,601 of these instances could have or did cause the resident serious injury or death. The instances reported ranged from physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, bedsores, inadequate medical care, malnutrition, dehydration, preventable accidents, inadequate sanitation and hygiene. Some other shocking finds of the report were that more than 40% of the abuse violations were not reported until formal complaints was brought by residents or family members. 1,327 of the nursing homes were cited more than once for abuse violations during this two year period, 305 were cited for three or more violations and 192 were cited for five or more abuse violations waxman, 2001.

If you have an elderly parent of relative in a nursing facility there are signs to look for to determine if your loved one is being properly cared for according to helpguide.org. Threatening, belittling, or controlling caregiver behavior that you witness behavior from the elder that mimics dementia, such as. Elder abuse and neglect is a critical health care issue that must be brought to the attention of health care providers and older adults family members. Adults older than 65 who live at home or in long term care facilities may be at risk for abuse. Nurses should be aware of the causes, screening questions, symptoms of abuse, and resources in the community. Armed with information and a better understanding about the issue, nurses can minimize the devastating effects of abuse on older adults and their families. Adults have elderly parents who could benefit from living in a retirement home.

However, it’s hard to decide to send an elderly parent to a retirement home because there are several other care options available. Furthermore, this decision can be made more challenging because most retirement homes have several. Preface people who have to leave their homes and families and move into a nursing home experience lots of grief and loss. This article is designed to help the family members and friends to better understand these losses and how they are expressed in words, actions, and/or emotions. Unfortunately, a significant number of nursing homes abuse their residents in some way from physical abuse to stealing money to illegally restricting activity false imprisonment. If you are the relative or close friend of someone in a nursing home, pay attention to how that person is being treated.

Senate in 2002, between the years of 19 and 2001, almost one third of nursing homes in the united states were cited for an abuse violation. And 10% of nursing homes engaged in abuse violations that caused or placed elderly residents at risk of actual harm. Elderly people who live in nursing homes can be abused physically, sexually, and verbally. But others are less well known to the public, such as neglect, false imprisonment, and financial abuse. neglect. neglect can become abuse if it results in serious actual or possible harm. For example, if an elderly resident needs assistance to eat and the staff does not provide such assistance, then the elderly person can become malnourished, which rises to the level of physical abuse.

false imprisonment. false imprisonment occurs when the nursing home staff prevent the resident from leaving a certain area, such as their room or a wing of the facility. Typically, the person who imprisons the resident will disable the resident by leaving them without their wheelchair or crutches, or threaten the resident with harm or deprivation of food or water. financial abuse. a staff member of a nursing home might steal a resident's personal property or steal information in order to withdraw money from the resident's bank account. Financial abuse can also come in the form of false fees or charges that deprive a resident of a significant amount of their income or savings. Generally, you should be watchful if a staff member is unwilling to let you spend time alone with an elderly resident. You should also be mindful if a resident has frequently been argumentative or uncooperative, or the resident's personality has drastically changed. Signs of physical abuse include: sudden weight loss dehydration or malnutrition bruising bedsores marks from restraints broken bones injuries resulting from falls, and overmedication and oversedation.

Signs of sexual abuse include: bleeding in genital areas bruises in genital areas torn or bloodied undergarments, and contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. Signs that an elderly person has been verbally abused include: a showing of excessive fear or apprehension around certain persons the elderly person blaming themselves for insignificant problems visible depression or anger most of the time, and rocking, sucking, or mumbling called false dementia. Signs of financial abuse include: recent, frequent withdrawals from bank accounts losses of personal property new loans or mortgage contracts, and recent revisions to wills, deeds, or trusts. You can learn more about common signs of elder abuse on the national center on elder abuse's website at w.ncea.aoa.gov click on frequently asked questions .

If you suspect that an elderly person has been abused or neglected by their nursing home, you should take action. Verify the elderly person's story. your first step should be to see if the elderly person is telling the truth. Get clear about what your relative or friend is saying by going over the problem with them. If you can, check with other residents of the nursing home who seem to be coherent. Also gather medical records, or take photos, of recent injuries or prescriptions.

Consider removing the elderly person to another facility. if you are worried about the safety of a nursing home resident, assist them in leaving the nursing home immediately. In some states, such as california, you are required to report elder abuse when you learn it has occurred. If the district attorney determines that the evidence that you present rises to the level of criminal behavior, the state will file charges against the nursing home. File a complaint with the appropriate agencies. file a complaint about the nursing home to your state's department of social services, adult protective services, or elder protective services.

Consider hiring an attorney. you should retain a civil attorney who specializes in one or more of the following areas: nursing home law, elder abuse, personal injury, or consumer fraud. In certain situations, it is possible to join with other persons who have suffered damages as a part of a class action lawsuit. Seniors and their relatives may bring several types of claims against nursing homes, including actions alleging physical, sexual, or verbal abuse, false imprisonment, consumer fraud resulting in financial abuse, and financial exploitation. In order for abuse to qualify as elder abuse, the victim must be older than a certain age.