It is clear that nursing home abuse and neglect has become an epidemic, and anyone with a loved one in a nursing home needs to be aware of this issue.

1. NURSING HOME ABUSE
PANDEMIC - WHY IS
NOBODY TALKING
ABOUT IT?

2. Did you know? More than
half of all nursing homes
have been cited for
violating federal health and
safety standards. The
number of violations is
even higher for privately-
owned facilities.

3. It is clear that nursing home
abuse and neglect has
become an epidemic, and
anyone with a loved one in a
nursing home needs to be
aware of this issue.

4. NURSING HOME LAWYERS IN NEW
YORK
Nursing home residents' rights are guaranteed by the federal 1987
Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires nursing homes to
"promote and protect the rights of each resident." Yet, nursing
homes are not doing enough to protect their residents. To protect a
loved one living in a nursing home, it is crucial that you work
with nursing home lawyers in New York. But before that, you should
understand what constitutes nursing home abuse and how to spot
it.

5. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF NURSING HOME
ABUSE IS NEGLECT.
Understaffing at nursing homes is often termed the main culprit
behind this kind of abuse. Evidence of nursing home neglect
includes bed sores and stiff joints, as well as signs of depression. A
patient who appears over-medicated or is needlessly sedated could
be a victim of nursing home neglect. The smell of urine or feces and
poor personal hygiene are hallmarks of this problem.

6. Extreme unexplained weight
loss in an otherwise healthy
resident can also be a sign
of abuse. And if visitors are
made to wait while the staff
readies a patient to see
them, - or does not allow the
visit at all - neglect could be
the reason.

7. Nursing home neglect is as much a crime as any other form of
abuse. Nursing home neglect robs patients of their dignity, and
it can be deadly. Neglected nursing home patients have been
known to wander away from facilities, and sadly some of these
patients have died of exposure. Other unattended patients have
been allowed to die as a result of undetected internal bleeding
or other ailments that could have been corrected with proper
medical care.

8. PHYSICAL ABUSE IS AN UNFORTUNATE FACT OF LIFE IN MANY
NURSING HOMES.
Nursing home staff are often guilty of this crime, but abuse among
residents is not unheard of. Thousands of cases of physical abuse
by nursing home staff are reported each year. While physical abuse
encompasses crimes like battery, it also includes placing a patient in
excessive restraints or physically confining residents for no valid
reason. Over-medicating patients to keep them quiet, or to withhold
medical care are also forms of physical abuse.

9. AND SADLY, SEXUAL ABUSE ALSO OCCURS IN NURSING
HOMES.
Often, nursing home sexual abuse goes undetected. The physical
and cognitive impairments common among nursing home patients
make it impossible for them to fight off sexual assailants or report
sexual abuse. Bruising around breasts, upper abdomen, or inner
thigh; are often evidence of inappropriate touching or worse.

10. Signs that a nursing home
resident has been the victim
of a sexual assault include
bleeding from the vagina or
anus; the presence of a
sexually transmitted
disease; troubles walking or
discomfort when sitting;
and irritation or itching in
genitals.

11. NURSING HOME ABUSE LAW FIRM
If nursing home abuse is
suspected, immediate action
must be taken. Call 911 if a
resident appears to be in
immediate danger. Otherwise,
report the situation to an
administrator.

12. All nursing homes are required to have formal complaint procedure
and a staff person who is designated to review grievances. Submit
specific information about your complaints and attempts to resolve
them. If the situation is not resolved, then the problem should be
reported to the state agency charged with overseeing nursing
homes. It may be necessary to remove a resident from a deficient
nursing home if the problem is not corrected. In most cases of
suspected nursing home abuse and neglect, it can be helpful to
retain an experienced nursing home abuse law firm to take action on
a loved one's behalf.