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Nursing Home Abuse in the United States


Nursing home abuse is the mistreatment of older adults in assisted living facilities. Older people are injured, neglected, and even die in institutions where they should have received appropriate care.

Nursing Home Abuse Statistics

According to the recent data from Nursing Home Abuse Justice, there are more than five million cases of abuse annually. About 10% of all people over the age of 60 reports being abused.

National data reveals that 1% of Americans have experienced abuse or neglect of the elderly by an institutional caregiver at least once in their lifetime. As for what people experience when abused, 35% have been slapped, 21% had their property damaged, and 17% were sexually abused. Most victims of nursing homes are women, accounting for about 60%. The average age of these cases is usually 81 years, and the average life expectancy is 6.5 years.

Most Common Types of Abuse

  • Neglect: Occurs when nursing home staff fail to provide adequate care to meet the needs of residents. These can be medical, physical, social, or emotional needs.
  • Emotional Abuse: Occurs when a person lies or makes misleading statements to cause emotional distress. Changes in behavior such as isolation or withdrawal may signify that your loved one is a victim. Emotional abuse can range from isolation to intimidation and humiliation, and it can be challenging to prove.
  • Physical Abuse: Physical abuse of a nursing home person may involve any form of physical contact that causes injury to the resident. Beating, kicking, beating, squeezing, biting, pushing, and unnecessarily holding back are examples of physical abuse.
  • Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse in a nursing home is difficult to imagine, but sadly it is common. Unintentional employees harass the older people in nursing homes with sexual harassment, rape, and other crimes.
  • Financial Abuse: Older people are an easy target for financial abuse. Dishonest people can abuse the elderly’s property and money to their advantage.

Seeking Help in case of an Abuse

Report the situation immediately if you suspect your loved one has been abused in a nursing home. Talk to your loved one’s caregiver or arrange to talk to the elderly residential manager and ask for an investigation.

At Ace Law Group, we want to help you combat these sources of anguish and hold the responsible parties liable. We can provide a thorough investigation of your situation and help you build a powerful case. Contact our firm to fight for compensation for your loved ones.