Elder abuse injuries can occur in any resident of a nursing home regardless of their condition, age, and gender. Certain risk factors make this abuse more likely. To be clear, just because these risk factors are present doesn’t necessarily mean that your loved one will experience nursing home abuse–it only means they are at a greater risk of neglect and abuse. You should not delay in speaking with a capable attorney if you believe your elderly loved one is the victim of any form of abuse or neglect.
Cognitive Impairment
Nursing home residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are at particularly great risk of suffering elder abuse and neglect. Overall rates of abuse by caregivers in patients suffering from dementia range between 34–62% as per a study conducted by the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, and the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA). Researchers, through a study centered on seniors with dementia in the United States, found that over 47% of patients had experienced some form of elder abuse and neglect. Passive neglect, physical abuse, and verbal abuse are common forms of elderly abuse in patients suffering from dementia.