Close-up of an elderly woman's bloody arm

Nursing Home Abuse Statistics

While abusing elders is just about the lowest of the low, it’s a persistent issue within the U.S. today. Keep reading to learn some nursing home abuse statistics.

Inconclusive Studies

It’s very challenging to track nursing home abuse for several reasons.

First, there are no universal definitions of nursing home abuse, which makes studying the phenomenon quite difficult. Second, there are moral obstacles to overcome, such as the legal, financial, and social consequences for those who are studied, as well as confidentiality issues.

Next, The Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval process can be lengthy due to their unfamiliarity with the study of nursing home abuse. In addition, several IRBs tend to be involved in these instances, and they each have their own set of guidelines. Similarly, there are no federal regulations for the study of nursing home abuse. Finally, each study of nursing home abuse has its own operational definition, administrative data, samples, and methods, which makes results highly inconsistent.

All this is to say that nursing home abuse studies likely report a significantly lower existence of abuse than what truly occurs.

The Data

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the following is true:

  • 1 in 6 people aged 60 years and older endured a form of abuse in community settings in the last year.
  • 2 in 3 elder care staff members within community settings like nursing homes and long-term care facilities reported that they’ve committed abuse in the last year.
  • A total of 15.7% of elders in nursing homes report having endured some type of abuse.
  • 11.6% of elders in nursing homes report sustaining psychological abuse.
  • 6.8% of elders in nursing homes report sustaining financial abuse.
  • 4.2% of elders in nursing homes report being neglected.
  • 2.6% of elders in nursing homes report sustaining physical abuse.
  • 0.9% of elders in nursing homes report sustaining sexual abuse.

Keep in mind that these numbers primarily reflect the number of incidences in which elders have reported the abuse they endure themselves. There are likely many more instances of abuse that aren’t reported by the elder or anyone else.

We Can Help

As you can see from the aforementioned data, nursing home abuse is a serious issue that happens far more often than it should. If you believe your elder is enduring nursing home abuse, it’s in your family’s best interest to seek legal assistance. Our team has helped hundreds of people just like you secure justice. Don’t wait—contact us with your case right away.

If your loved one is being abused, our Virginia elder abuse lawyers at Obenshain Law Group can help you achieve the justice your family deserves. Give us a call at (540) 318-7360 or fill out an online contact form.

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