Senior Abuse
There are federal and state laws that state nursing homes
must comply with set guidelines and standards in order to
prevent senior abuse in the facilities. Any instance of senior
abuse that occurs under the care of a nursing home may be
protected under a state and/or federal law.
Senior abuse in nursing homes does not only occur as physical
abuse, but sexual abuse, emotional
or psychological abuse, neglect,
abandonment, and financial
or material exploitation.
Physical Senior Abuse
Physical senior abuse in nursing homes is the presence of
physical force that can result in bodily injury, physical
pain, or impairment. Senior abuse may include acts of violence
like striking, hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking,
slapping, kicking, pinching, and burning. The abuse can also
include inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints,
force-feeding, and physical punishment of any kind.
Physical senior abuse signs can include, but are not limited
to:
- bruises, black eyes, welts, lacerations, and rope marks
- open wounds, cuts, punctures, untreated injuries in various
stages of healing
- bone fractures, broken bones, and skull fractures
- sprains, dislocations, and internal injuries/bleeding
- broken eyeglasses/frames, physical signs of being subjected
to punishment, and signs of being restrained
- laboratory findings of medication overdose or under utilization
of prescribed drugs
- a nursing home resident’s report of being hit, slapped,
kicked, or mistreated
- a nursing home resident’s sudden change in behavior
- the nursing home worker’s refusal to allow visitors
to see a nursing home resident alone
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Sexual Senior Abuse
Sexual senior abuse in nursing homes is non-consensual sexual
contact of any kind with a nursing home resident. Any nursing
home resident incapable of giving consent that is sexually
touched is also considered sexual abuse. This form of senior
abuse in nursing homes can include, but is not limited to,
all types of sexual assault or battery, such as rape, sodomy,
coerced nudity, and sexually explicit photographing.
Sexual senior abuse signs can include, but are not limited
to:
- bruises around the breasts or genital area
- unexplained venereal disease or genital infections
- unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding
- torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
- a nursing home resident’s report of being sexually
assaulted or raped
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Emotional or Psychological Senior
Abuse
Emotional or psychological senior abuse in nursing homes is
the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal
or nonverbal acts. Emotional/psychological senior abuse in
nursing homes can include but is not limited to verbal assaults,
insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment.
In addition, treating a nursing home resident like an infant;
isolating a nursing home resident from his/her family, friends,
or regular activities; giving a resident the "silent
treatment;" and enforced social isolation are examples
of emotional/psychological senior abuse.
Signs and symptoms of emotional/psychological senior abuse
in nursing homes include but are not limited to:
- being emotionally upset or agitated
- being extremely withdrawn and non communicative or non
responsive
- unusual behavior usually attributed to dementia (for example,
sucking, biting, rocking)
- a nursing home resident’s report of being verbally
or emotionally mistreated
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Neglect
Neglect is senior abuse due to refusal or failure to fulfill
any part of a nursing home worker's obligations or duties
to a nursing home resident. This can include the failure on
the part of the nursing home to provide necessary care. Typically,
neglect is the refusal or failure to provide a nursing home
resident with life necessities like food, water, clothing,
shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety,
and other essentials included in an implied or agreed-upon
responsibility to a resident.
Signs and symptoms of neglect include but are not limited
to:
- dehydration, malnutrition, untreated bedsores, and poor
personal hygiene
- unattended or untreated health problems
- hazardous or unsafe living condition/arrangements (for
example, improper wiring, no heat, or no running water)
- unsanitary and unclean living conditions (for example,
dirt, fleas, lice on person, soiled bedding, fecal/urine
smell, inadequate clothing)
- a nursing home resident’s report of being mistreated
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Abandonment
Abandonment is the desertion of a nursing home resident by
a nursing home worker who has assumed responsibility for providing
care for the resident.
Signs and symptoms of this type of senior abuse include but
are not limited to:
- the desertion of a nursing home resident
- the desertion of a nursing home resident at a public location
- a nursing home resident’s own report of being abandoned
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Financial or Material Exploitation
Financial or material exploitation is the illegal or improper
use of a nursing home resident’s funds, property, or
assets. This type of senior abuse in nursing homes can include
cashing a nursing home resident’s checks without authorization/permission;
forging a resident's signature; misusing or stealing a resident’s
money or possessions; coercing or deceiving a resident into
signing any document (contracts or will); and the improper
use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney.
Signs and symptoms of financial or material exploitation
senior abuse include but are not limited to:
- sudden changes in bank account or banking practice, including
an unexplained withdrawal of large sums of money by a person
accompanying the nursing home resident
- the inclusion of additional names on a nursing home resident’s
bank signature card
- unauthorized withdrawal of the nursing home resident’s
funds using the resident's ATM card
- abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents
- unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions
- substandard care being provided or bills unpaid despite
the availability of adequate financial resources
- discovery of a nursing home resident’s signature
being forged for financial transactions or for the titles
of his/her possessions
- sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming
their rights to a nursing home resident’s affairs and
possessions
- the provision of services that are not necessary
- a nursing home resident’s report of financial exploitation.
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