What Types of Elder Abuse Occur in Residential Care Facilities?
Residential care facility (RCF) staff, administrators, healthcare providers, fellow RCF residents, and intruders into an RCF are all potential perpetrators of elder neglect and abuse at a nursing home or other residence care facility. The categories of elder abuse given above (financial exploitation, neglect, abandonment, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse) also apply to RCFs; a significant difference is that in nursing home settings, neglect is the most common form of abuse. Many caregivers fail to provide appropriate and adequate care (e.g., providing proper nutrition, medication, and clothing; monitoring the safety of residents; taking a resident to the bathroom when needed; changing a resident’s position to prevent bedsores; and responding promptly to a resident’s requests for assistance). In addition, the misuse of physical restraints or restraint by medication has been documented in RCFs. At the Menzer Law Firm, we’ve seen the often traumatic effects of RCF and nursing home neg
