Today, there are over 3.2 million adults living in nursing homes and other long-term facilities in the U.S. That number is expected to grow to as much as 40 percent of all adults in the near future. When family members enroll their loved ones into these nursing homes they do so with the assumption that they will be receiving a high level of care, unfortunately however this is not always the case.
Surprising Stats Behind Nursing Home Abuse
“A recent congressional report showed that an examination of nursing home records conducted over a two-year period showed that nearly 1 in 3 nursing homes were cited for violations that had the potential to cause harm and almost 10 percent of all nursing homes have violations that caused actual harm, serious injury or placed them in jeopardy of death.
In Kentucky alone there were 4,853 examples of violations. 438 of which were considered serious, that is the highest rate of deficiencies per home in the entire country. (View your states stats here)
A survey of nursing home residents showed that up to 44 percent of nursing home residents reported that they had been abused at some time in residency and nearly all of those surveyed (95%) had seen another resident neglected.”
Surprisingly, more than one-quarter of serious cases of nursing home abuse are not reported to the police, according to an alert released Monday morning by the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services.
The cases went unreported despite the fact that state and federal law require that serious cases of abuse in nursing homes be turned over to the police.
–http://www.npr.org/2017/08/28/546460187/serious-nursing-home-abuse-often-not-reported-to-police-federal-investigators-fi
12 Potential Warning Signs of nursing home abuse:
Broken bones or fractures
* Bruising, cuts or welts
* Bed sores
* Frequent infections
* Signs of Dehydration
* Mood swings and emotional outbursts
* Reclusiveness or refusal to speak
* Refusal to eat or take medications
* Unexplained weight loss
* Poor physical appearance or lack of cleanliness
* Changes in mental status
* Caregivers that do not want patient to be left alone with others
-http://www.nursinghomeabuseguide.org/
What to do if you suspect Nursing Home abuse.
If you or a loved one has been involved in nursing home abuse you may be due compensation. At Nutt Law Office, we specialize in nursing home abuse and neglect cases. Our experienced team is dedicated to helping you get the justice and financial compensation you and your loved ones deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.