The emotional ramifications of nursing home abuse vary and are frequently severe, leading to serious mental health issues, a considerable decrease in the victim’s physical condition, and even death. If an elderly loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse and neglect, do not stay silent. Click here to learn more.
Nursing home abuse and neglect go undetected for three key reasons.
When residents are abused, some are unable or afraid to report it.
Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable people in our society. Many people rely on nursing homes to meet their fundamental requirements and to complete everyday chores that we take for granted. When a nursing home commits nursing home abuse or neglect, some victims cannot understand what has occurred to them or convey the occurrence to someone who can intervene.
In other circumstances, patients are frightened that if they speak out about something that happened to them or a fellow resident, they will face punishment or reprisal from the nursing home. Other neglect cases may occur because people do not want to be a nuisance. Residents with strong advocates, such as family and friends, who often check on their well-being, are less likely to be abused. It is frequently up to this support system to examine signs of nursing home abuse.
Nursing homes have a financial incentive to keep incidents hidden.
According to research, the elderly in nursing homes are considerably more likely to be abused and neglected than those at home. If nursing facilities are determined to be negligent, they might be sued. They may also face government fines or perhaps lose their license, which might result in the loss of government money on which most institutions rely. When a nursing home owns all information about a case of abuse or neglect under its supervision, there is a financial incentive to sweep the occurrence under the rug.
In 2017, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, conducted a study to see if skilled nursing homes were reporting occurrences of abuse and neglect. According to the OIG investigation, in 28% of situations where there was evidence of suspected abuse or neglect, the nurse did not report the occurrence to the police as required.
Most nursing home staff members are committed professionals who are severely overworked and underpaid. Although some cases of nursing home abuse and neglect result from deliberate staff maltreatment, many other events result from nursing home mismanagement and penny-pinching. Lack of training and understaffing are common in the nursing home sector, especially at for-profit institutions, and are motivated by corporate avarice.
