According to the House Select Committee on Aging one of every twenty elderly people (over 65) will be a victim of neglect or abuse.

At any one time about five percent or 1.8 million Americans over 65 will be in a nursing home. This includes three percent of persons aged 65-74, and fifteen percent of persons aged 85 or older.

Medical research has found that three and one-half percent (3.5%) of nursing home residents will experience physical, psychological abuse or neglect, including repeated and persistent deprivation of assistance with needs of daily living or hitting, slapping, burning, physical restraint or threats, humiliation and mental cruelty.

Research in 57 residential and nursing homes in the U.S. revealed that 10% of staff admitted to at least one act of physical abuse during the year.

(Source: Brocklehursts Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, fifth edition)

For information in the news about nursing home abuse and neglect, including bedsores and wrongful deaths in nursing homes read the following Time Magazine article:

FATAL NEGLECT

IN POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF CASES, NURSING HOME RESIDENTS ARE DYING FROM A LACK OF FOOD AND WATER AND THE MOST BASIC LEVEL OF HYGIENE.

www.time.com/time/magazine/1997/dom/971027/nation.fatal_neglect.html

Types of Neglect and Abuse

• Dehydration
• Malnutrition
• Bedsores
• Infections due to lack of hygiene
• Failure to protect from health or safety hazards
• Denial of access to medical services
• Wrongful death
• Broken bone
• Unnecessary physical or chemical restraint
• Bruises or welts
• Burns
• Sexual abuse
• Failure to provide medication or overmedication
• Pain untreated