Nursing home abuse, neglect have many and varied causes

Why would anyone deliberately harm, via abuse or neglect, an elderly person who is relatively helpless? This question haunts the many thousands of persons whose loved ones have been subjected to abuse or neglect in a nursing home, assisted living or other long-term care facility. And the answers aren't easy.

One is that people who have endured abuse in childhood or their formative years often tend to perpetuate that abuse on others as adults. It's suspected that some nursing home staff members have suffered abuse themselves, which can make them more likely to inflict harm on others, such as innocent nursing home residents.

Nursing home abuse also can occur when staff members are not trained sufficiently and are underpaid. This gives them a feeling of powerlessness, which they offset by exerting power over others: namely, elderly residents. Also, these staff members have no emotional or familial connection to the elderly resident, unlike members of that person's family. Staffers also may have scant chance for advancement in their career, and job burnout can be common, leading to lashing out.

Up to a third of nursing homes may have abuse, neglect

Such patterns of behavior can cause a great deal of nursing home abuse -- so much so that it's estimated that 2 to 10 per cent of nursing home residents endure some kind of abuse or neglect. Others believe that up to a third of all nursing homes have some form of abuse or neglect on their premises. It's also clear that much nursing home abuse goes unreported. Yet sadly, even some nursing homes which are known for abuse are still in business. There simply isn't enough institutional oversight for the nursing home industry.

That leaves it to elderly residents' family members to ride to the rescue. They can do so on the front-end by thoroughly investigating potential nursing home sites for their loved ones and placing them only in nursing homes with a good safety record. After a resident moves in, family members then can keep a careful eye on their condition, monitoring it for physical or emotional distress.

If they do determine that a loved one in a nursing home has suffered physical or emotional abuse or neglect, they should act promptly, notifying the nursing home administration and also getting proper medical care for their family member. Victims also have a legal right to seek financial compensation, which can be secured by engaging a nursing home abuse lawyer from Attorney Bob Goldwater and his Goldwater Law Firm. Simply submit the free case evaluation form on this Web page, and a legal representative will contact you promptly to explore your nursing home abuse case.