People put their elderly parents or grandparents in nursing homes so that they can be taken care of. Many people choose to live in nursing homes as they want to alleviate their loneliness and also have someone look after them in their old age. But with the rise in nursing home abuse, these residents do not get the necessary care, but are in fact subjected to all kinds of nursing home abuse.
The National Center On Elder Abuse in the United States, regularly collects data and information about nursing home residents and any instances of nursing home abuse. They scrutinize such data and then publish nursing home abuse statistics regarding abuse of the elderly in nursing homes and other care giving facilities in America.
According to these statistics, more than 30% of all nursing homes in America indulge in some form of resident abuse, with the numbers on an ever increasing trend. As per published statistics, more than 50% of all nursing homes are short staffed and do not have enough staff to help care for the residents. Due to this, the existing staff is often overburdened, which in turn leads to nursing home neglect and also abuse.
The nursing home abuse statistics have caused much alarm in the minds of Americans who have their loved ones living in nursing homes. The published statistics are already high enough so as to cause concern, but add to that the fact that these statistics do not account for all nursing home abuse cases. The statistics show that only about 20% of nursing home abuse ever gets reported, and thus, the majority of instances do not even figure in nursing home abuse statistics.
Nursing home abuse statistics show that residents of nursing homes are not just abused by the staff at such facilities, but also by other residents and occupants. The statistics reveal that nursing home abuse consists of different forms of abuse such as, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological distress, malnutrition, financial exploitation, and neglect.
It is estimated that by 2007, the demand for beds in nursing homes will rise to such an extent that it will far outweigh the supply. With more and more elderly people going to live in nursing homes, the nursing home abuse statistics are expected to reach very alarming levels, much more so than what is currently prevalent.
Nursing home abuse has injured and killed many a nursing home occupant and has left several people and families in devastation and bereavement. The nursing home abuse statistics have finally forced people and the authorities to think on what can be done to reduce abuse in nursing homes and make them safer for the elderly.
Even with such distressing statistics on nursing home abuse, it still remains one area which is not getting its due consideration. With the low salary packets available to nursing home staff, and the high turnover rate of staff at nursing homes, the problem of abuse does not look like it is going to get any better. We, as Americans, probably need to brace ourselves for more shocking nursing home abuse statistics in the future.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse, and has been reduced to a mere nursing home abuse statistic, you need to consult with an experienced and qualified attorney right away.
Under the law, nursing home residents have certain rights. If any of these rights have been violated, you can sue for legal damages and compensation. A nursing home abuse lawyer is thus your best bet in such a situation.
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