Disabled Patients at Greater Risk of Nursing Home Abuse

Patient abuse and neglect can happen to anyone, despite age, physical ability, or mental capacity. However, disabled residents are one of the highest risk groups for nursing home abuse.

Disabled Nursing Home Resident Care Standards

People with physical and cognitive disabilities can pose additional challenges for caretakers. Therefore, these patients require specific standards of care.

Special care is required for nursing home patients who:

• Are unable to communicate their needs effectively
• Act aggressively toward the staff and other patients
• Require additional help with bathing, using the restroom, or other everyday activities

Nursing home staff must identify and be aware of the specific needs of the nursing home residents to develop standards of care that respect the patient’s needs and provide the healthiest environment.

Disabled Residents Are Often Victims of Abuse

Staff may perceive disabled residents as helpless because of their disability. This can lead to frustration, and an improperly trained caregiver may become aggressive with the patient. Additionally, staff may think of disabled residents as less valuable or important. This often leads to abuse or neglect of particular residents.

Disabled residents rely on the staff for their care, which can lead to residents not telling someone if their caregiver is abusing them. They may feel that by speaking out, they will no longer receive care, and they may become even more neglected.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse

• Neglect: When nursing home patients are not cared for properly, they may suffer from neglect. Neglect includes leaving patients alone for hours without care, resulting in further damage to their health. Additional types of neglect involve the destruction of property and assistive aids, or not bathing or taking the patient to the bathroom regularly.
• Physical Abuse: Physical abuse includes kicking, punching, bruising, hair pulling, or forcefully restraining the resident.
• Psychological Abuse: Emotional pain and fear plague patients who have been psychologically abused by their caregivers. The abuser may intimidate the resident by threatening them, calling them names, or controlling their ability to attend events and social opportunities.
• Sexual Abuse: Some nursing home patients experience unwanted sexual advances, kissing, caressing or sexual encounters. If the resident is forced to engage in these types of activities, it is sexual abuse.
• Financial Abuse: Many elderly nursing home patients are forced to purchase items for staff, or the caregivers use the resident’s money without their consent. Other times, a resident may be pressured to give the staff cash or sign financial documents that the resident doesn’t understand.
• Medication Abuse: Sometimes, staff may give unprescribed medication to a patient, to sedate them, or for other reasons. This form of abuse is called medication abuse.

Contact a Nursing Home Abuse AttorneyPatients with disabilities often feel isolated, not being able to participate in all of the activities and events. Usually, because of this isolation, they don’t get the care they need and become more marginalized and vulnerable. This can mean that it takes longer for someone to notice abuse, so it is essential to look out for signs of nursing home abuse.

Saladino & Schaaf has decades of experience representing Kentuckians in personal injury lawsuits, including elder and nursing home abuse. If you or a loved one have been injured or otherwise abused while residing at a nursing home, contact us online or at (270) 444-0406 to schedule a free consultation today. You may be entitled to significant compensation, but the clock is ticking.