Types of Physical Nursing Home Abuse

Formerly independent, self-sufficient men and women can become totally dependent for their daily needs on the nursing home staff and administration where they are forced to live. Unfortunately many suffer severe physical abuse and nursing home intimidation at the hands of their highly paid "care givers." Instances of physical abuse can manifest in many forms, such as sexual abuse, mishandling resident into bed, improper use of drugs to restrain a patient, lack of supervision resulting in slip and fall incidents and the improper use of force such at striking, beating, or kicking an elderly resident.

What is Considered Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes?

1. Severely ill nursing home residents are often subjected to sexual abuse from nursing home staff members, other nursing home residents, strangers entering nursing home and family members.
2. The law requires that nursing homes ensure that a resident does not develop bedsores, unless it is impossible to prevent them.
3. Intentional physical abuse by improper use of force that may result in bodily injury or pain. Elderly people are often physically fragile and have brittle, easily broken skin and bones.
4. Malnutrition abuse occurs when a patient does not get enough to eat and can result in severe health problems and death and in some cases, led to force feeding the nursing home residents.
5. Chemical abuse is present where improper use of drugs and pharmaceuticals is used to improperly control, quiet or restrain an elderly patient. The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 insures all nursing home residents may be free from physical or chemical restrains used to discipline the patient or used simply for the convenience of nursing home staff.

Help From an Lawyer

Report the suspected abuse to the patient’s doctor and other family members as soon as possible and then contact a nursing home law specialized attorney. Contacting an attorney and discussing concerns and observations of patient abuse can immediate effect in protecting an elderly patient’s rights and interests. Established allegations of patient abuse can have severe consequences for the offending nursing home.