[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/who-abuses-nursing-home-residents-you-might-be-surprised\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/who-abuses-nursing-home-residents-you-might-be-surprised\/","headline":"Who Abuses Nursing Home Residents? You Might Be Surprised","name":"Who Abuses Nursing Home Residents? You Might Be Surprised","description":"Nursing home residents don\u2019t always get along. In fact, a study of\u00a0nursing home abuse\u00a0found that nearly 20 percent of incidents in nursing homes are part of an \u201cepidemic of resident-to-resident hostile behavior.\u201d Researchers at Cornell University-Weill Cornell Medical College\u00a0found that 19.8 percent of nursing home residents surveyed had been subjected...","datePublished":"2015-08-21","dateModified":"2019-07-05","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/author\/dsslaw\/#Person","name":"Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/author\/dsslaw\/","identifier":12,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/645d493126a7be6f90be911a6e7d4382c0cd63874673097832081394c8bcf8ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/645d493126a7be6f90be911a6e7d4382c0cd63874673097832081394c8bcf8ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bg-logo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/bg-logo.jpg","width":192,"height":90}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/resident-to-resident-hostile-behavior-e1439811807199.png","url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/resident-to-resident-hostile-behavior-e1439811807199.png","height":"290","width":"625"},"url":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/who-abuses-nursing-home-residents-you-might-be-surprised\/","about":["Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect"],"wordCount":844,"keywords":["nursing home abuse new jersey","nursing home malpractice new jersey","nursing home malpractice new york","nursing home neglect new jersey"],"articleBody":"Nursing home residents don\u2019t always get along. In fact, a study of\u00a0nursing home abuse\u00a0found that nearly 20 percent of incidents in nursing homes are part of an \u201cepidemic of resident-to-resident hostile behavior.\u201dResearchers at Cornell University-Weill Cornell Medical College\u00a0found that 19.8 percent of nursing home residents surveyed had been subjected during the previous month to what the researchers called \u201cresident-to-resident elder mistreatment,\u201d including verbal, physical or sexual abuse.As the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0reports, the researchers spent five years observing and interviewing more than 2,000 residents at 10 nursing homes. They also interviewed staff, read incident reports and asked residents and staff members to complete a research-based questionnaire.The findings were startling. Residents reported that fellow residents had subjected them to:Type of MistreatmentPct.Verbal incidents (shouting, screaming, yelling)16%Intrusions on privacy (unwelcome entry, going through items)10.5%Physical incidents (hitting, kicking, biting)5.7%Sexual incidents (touching, exposing one\u2019s genitals)1.3%If your loved one resides in a nursing home \u2013 and you did not recognize that resident-on-reside abuse could happen to him or her \u2013 you are not alone. Karl Pillemer, the Cornell University gerontologist who led the study, told the Times that he and his fellow researchers were stunned by their findings as well.\u201cWe were shocked by how extensive this was,\u201d Pillemer said. \u201cIt\u2019s a feature of nursing home life, something that occurs daily, that staff and residents almost take for granted.\u201dWith that said, you can take steps to keep this type of abuse from happening to a nursing home resident you care about. These steps include:Visit \u2013\u00a0You should visit the nursing home frequently. Instead of going at the same time or on the same day, mix it up. Make an unexpected visit. You may be able to catch those who are mistreating your family member in the act. You could also sense a tension in the air that indicates something is amiss.Express your concerns \u2013\u00a0Ask your loved one about life in the nursing home. What does he or she do during the day? How does your loved one get along with other residents? Look for signs of physical abuse as well as indicators of emotional abuse, including unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, sudden changes in alertness and unusual depression.Report your findings \u2013\u00a0Talk to the nursing home administrator, social worker or a staff person about any signs of suspected abuse or mistreatment that you have noticed. Be calm. Don\u2019t make accusations. If your concerns are not sufficiently addressed by the nursing home, contact your local Long-Term Care Ombudsman in\u00a0New Jersey\u00a0or\u00a0New York. An ombudsman is employed to advocate on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities and to help resolve complaints about care issues. The ombudsman can advise you and help you to file a formal complaint against the nursing home (if appropriate).Act in an emergency \u2013\u00a0If you believe your loved one or any nursing home resident is in imminent danger, contact local law enforcement and\/or emergency responders. In other words, call 911 without delay. The willful intent to hurt someone or to allow someone to be hurt is a crime.Educate your self \u2013\u00a0The\u00a0National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) website features a variety of resources about elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. You can also call (855) 500-3537 or read this\u00a0brochure\u00a0about resident-on-resident abuse.Nursing home residents have rights, including the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Administrators at every nursing home have a legal obligation to ensure that the rights of residents under their care are upheld, and their well-being is ensured. It is unacceptable for a nursing home staff to neglect addressing mistreatment of residents \u2013 whether it is abuse by other residents, staff or anyone else.At Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., our attorneys are dedicated to representing nursing home residents and the families of residents who have been abused or neglected, including those who have been abused by fellow residents.Contact us right away\u00a0if you have any questions about your loved one\u2019s well-being in a nursing home. We will be happy to discuss your concerns and advise you of potential legal actions you can take.In some cases, just a call, letter or visit from an attorney will prompt a nursing home administrator to shake up their staff and do what is right by residents. In other cases, we can help you and your loved one to seek compensation for a nursing home resident\u2019s injuries and losses. We can also assist with moving your loved one to a safer facility.About the AuthorLatest PostsDavis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C.Since 1981, the compassionate personal injury lawyers at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon have been delivering results for our deserving clients. We are solely committed to helping injured individuals, never representing corporations.\u00a0No matter how large or small your personal injury case is, you can trust that it is important to us.NYC Construction Accident - The Dangers of Jobsite Falls and Workers' RightsSteven Benvenisti Advocates for HALT Drunk Driving LawDavis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. Named #1 Law Firm"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Who Abuses Nursing Home Residents? You Might Be Surprised","item":"https:\/\/www.dsslaw.com\/blog\/who-abuses-nursing-home-residents-you-might-be-surprised\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]