What is Elderly abuse and neglect at a nursing home?
Physical abuse or neglect is any action or failure to act that causes unreasonable suffering, misery, injury or harm to a nursing home resident by a healthcare provider. Physical abuse includes anything from striking or sexually assaulting a resident to withholding necessary and adequate food, physical care or medical attention. Financial abuse includes the misuse of a residents trust funds to pay for nursing home services already being paid for by a state or federal program and/or the misuse of a residents funds not authorized by either the nursing home resident or the residents guardian, trustee, administrator, etc. It is a sad fact that some elderly nursing home residents are physically and sexually abused or neglected by healthcare workers. In many cases, an abused nursing home resident is totally dependent on the abuser and is afraid or physically unable to complain. Warning signs of physical abuse, sexual abuse and criminal neglect: Cuts, black eyes, bruises and burns, especially
