Various Types Of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

Posted by Mandell Trial on February 18th, 2021

Each nursing home resident has legal rights. For elderly people, nursing homes should be a safe place where they can receive proper care. The most important and basic right of elders is access to an environment that is free of neglect and abuse. But, this along with many other rights are generally violated when the elders in nursing homes face abuse and neglect. The neglect at a nursing home is a type of elder abuse that is committed against the resident. When proper care and attention is not given to the elder, it is considered as a breach of duty and a harms to the resident. In Woodland Hills elder abuse attorneys fight for the rights of elders. Such attorneys help elder or his/her family take strong legal action for holding the nursing home accountable due to its actions.

The abuse and neglect in nursing homes can cover a wide range. Elder abuse is the elders' mistreatment by those in a position of trust, and neglect results when the needs of the elder are not being met. While various kinds of elder abuse engage direct harm to the victim, while neglect causes injury through the negligence or failure to do the caregiving duties. Some common types of nursing home abuse and neglect are as such:-

Emotional/Psychological/Verbal abuse:-

In nursing homes, emotional abuse is more subtle than physical. Such abuse includes yelling, blaming, threats, ignoring, humiliation, terrorizing, ridicule, and neglect. On elders, such type of abuse have serious psychological effects. In such abuse, the abuser intentionally mistreats and distress the resident, which leaves the victim in a state of emotional pain. Such kind of abuse is an action or word that is carried out with the purpose to cause mental trauma, fear, and distress to a resident. They can cause long-term psychological and devastating effects that can damage the confidence of the resident. They also decrease the ability of the elder to enjoy their life.

Physical abuse:-

Physical abuse is one of the biggest issues in nursing homes today. Such type of abuse is considered as an unnecessary, non-accidental act of force that is against the elderly resident. It occurs when someone intentionally causes pain, distress, impairment, illness, or death to an elderly person. It includes physical force to push, slap, hit, kick, or burn an elder intentionally. It is the most common type of nursing home abuse, that can also include the wrong use of drugs to restrain a resident chemically.

Financial or material exploitation:-

It is an abuse type that involves the improper or illegal use of property, valuable personal property, funds, assets, and misusing or stealing money of an elder. Such abuse includes forcing the elder to sign a power of attorney, or any document that they do not agree to. It also includes forcing the elder to make changes to his/her will.

Sexual abuse:-

Sexual abuse involves any kind of sexual contact that results without the consent of the victim. It involves non-consensual sexual contact between the residents or any nursing home personnel. It may not include touching but could contain forcing a resident to undress in front of someone or view other people’s sexual acts. Such type of elders abuse includes all types of battery or sexual assault, like coerced nudity, rape, sexually explicit photographing, and sodomy.

Neglect:-

Neglect includes improper nutrition, food, room, place, bed linens,  medication or therapy, etc. It is defined as the failure or refusal to fulfill life necessities such as water, food, shelter, clothing, personal safety, personal hygiene, comfort, medicine, etc. that are agreed-upon as the responsibility to an elder.

Woodland Hills elders abuse lawyers make sure that each elder will get the compensation for their loss or injury that they have suffered in the elders or nursing home. Whatever the types of abuse or neglect are or circumstances of your loved one’s illness or injury, it is always suggested to consult a good lawyer, to help you throughout the process.