Unfortunately, elder abuse is a widespread issue affecting millions of senior citizens each year. With the pool of potential victims amounting to 52 million people in the United States over the age of 65, it’s estimated that nearly 1 in 10 senior citizens suffer from elder abuse each year.
Unfortunately, elder abuse is most common among seniors who are being cared for by caregivers in nursing homes. Elder abuse can take on many forms, from physical and sexual abuse to financial abuse and exploitation. If you are concerned that your loved one has been subjected to any type of elder abuse, it’s important to contact a knowledgeable attorney to learn more about your legal rights and options. Understanding who is most likely to be at risk will help you keep a more watchful eye over your loved one.
Elders and Abuse: Who Is at Risk?
As of 2017, it’s estimated that 1.2 million senior citizens require nursing home care. By 2030, this number is expected to increase to 1.9 million. Unfortunately, senior citizens living in nursing homes are often the prime targets of elder abuse. From a financial standpoint, it’s easy for caregivers and nursing home leadership to manipulate elders into making financial decisions or signing documents without their full and total understanding of the facts and consent.
According to the National Institutes of Health and the National Center on Elder Abuse, women are the most likely to suffer from elder abuse. Sadly, such incidents often go unreported, as seniors are often too confused to understand what’s really going on.
Failure to Prevent Falls
Sadly, many seniors suffer falls in nursing homes due to improper supervision. This lack of supervision includes nursing staff not making regular visits to the patient’s room to check on them or help them to the bathroom. The failure of staff to use bed alarms, fall mats to lessen the impact of a fall, and other precautions is also neglect. Many nurses at these facilities feel that the facility is under-staffed, which is a very dangerous situation. Falls are very preventable with proper staffing and safety protocols. This is so important because falls lead to fractures with potential fatal consequences.
Physical Abuse
One of the most common types of elder abuse is physical abuse. In nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout Florida, many individuals have been subjected to neglect (such as improper medical care, bed sores and infections, and inadequate protection and supervision) and physical injuries (such as lacerations, burns, and broken bones). Again, it is important for seniors and their families to recognize the signs of such abuse, as Florida law provides rights and options for family members to take legal action on behalf of their loved one under certain circumstances.
