When a family makes the difficult decision to place their loved one in a nursing home facility, they trust the nursing home will provide a safe and nurturing environment. Sadly, it's the very same nursing home staff members that may physically abuse and traumatize residents and patients.
It is estimated that in the U.S. nearly 10% of all nursing home abuse and neglect incidents fall within the physical abuse context.
Nursing homes may be found negligent and liable for physical abuse that results in personal injuries or wrongful death to its residents for failure to implement or abide by industry standard protocols.
Common nursing home physical abuse acts can include:
- Striking
- Beating
- Pushing
- Shaking
- Slapping
- Pulling
- Kicking
- Pinching
- Forced Feeding
- Unnecessary Restraining
- Unnecessary Confinement
- Mental cruelty
- Verbal abuse
- Psychological damage
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Abandonment
Common causes or contributors that can lead to nursing home sexual abuse can include:
- Failure to adequately staff facility with sufficient employees;
- Failure to conduct criminal background investigations on potential employees for physical abuse tendencies;
- Failure to contact prior employers about a prospective employee's patient complaint history including any allegations of physical abuse or any other abuse;
- Failure to implement a plan of care for the resident or patient;
- Failure to implement systems of safeguarding patients from physical abuse or any other abuse;
- Failure to maintain complaint logs and proper record keeping;
- Failure to properly train staff members and employees;
- Failure to protect residents from other violent and abusive residents;
- Failure to report incidents of physical abuse to appropriate authorities;
- Failure to report incidents of physical abuse to family members and loved ones;
- Failure to supervise employees.
