Elder Abuse Prevention

During one two year span, a study found that 1 in three nursing homes were cited for abuse of a resident.  As more and more individuals, particularly some of our society’s most vulnerable, become dependent on nursing home care—and there are more than 3.2 million Americans in nursing home facilities—the problem of abuse is only getting worse. 

While this is certainly a troubling trend, the good news is that the individual with the most power to curb the trend is you.  As I’ve written about previously written about, if you are concerned about a loved one suffering neglect or abuse, there are resources available including contacting reporting your concern to the facility administrator, hotlining the state, or contacting an attorney.  Certainly Tom and I are happy to try and counsel individuals through circumstances where they are worried their loved is suffering from neglect or abuse. 

The National Center on Elderly Abuse (NCEA) has a number of resources for help in recognizing abuse, preventing it, and stopping it.  If you suspect that someone is suffering from abuse at a nursing home please take steps to ensure that individuals are notified that can intervene and stop the abuse.

-Ryan