How Common is Nursing Home Abuse?

    ATLANTA, GA, February 29, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), precise statistics on nursing home abuse and neglect are difficult to ascertain.

This is due in part because definitions of abuse and neglect are wide ranging, and there is not federal center that collects data about nursing home abuse. Also, many instances of nursing home neglect and abuse go unreported as some patients have conditions that make them unable to articulate abuse and others are too scared or too embarrassed to report abuse.

However, the NCEA report Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in an Aging America found:

- 1 to 2 million citizens aged 65 or older have been abused, exploited, injured, or neglected in U.S. nursing homes
- Instances of elder abuse range from 2 to 10 percent based on sampling, case definitions, and survey methods
- Only 1 in 14 instances of abuse or neglect are reported to authorities
- Only 1 in 25 cases of financial abuse are reported to authorities

According to the National Research Council, "no survey of the U.S. population has ever been undertaken to provide a national estimate for the occurrence of any form of elder mistreatment." But clearly from the data collected by the NCEA, instances of abuse and neglect are prevalent.

What Can be Done to Stop Nursing Home Abuse

Sadly, many families find themselves in a situation in which a loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse. The best way to prevent nursing home abuse and neglect is to do your research prior to placing your loved one in a care facility. Unfortunately, even the best nursing homes can find themselves inadequately staffed or have inattentive or abusive nursing staff that can go unreported, making even these facilities unsafe.

Reporting nursing home abuse is an essential step in preventing future instances. A nursing home abuse attorney will be able to help your family protect your loved one, and also hold negligent and abusing nursing homes accountable for their actions. In doing so, you can not only protect your loved one, you can protect those who do not have family members looking out for them, becoming a voice for the voiceless.

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and would like more information about nursing home abuse and neglect, please visit the website of the nursing home abuse attorney at Robbins & Associates, P.C. at http://www.robbinslaw.com.

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