Is Resident-on-Resident Abuse an Issue in a Nursing Home?

It can be difficult when your loved one moves into a nursing home. While it can be an emotional time, you’re giving your loved one a home where they will be cared for and their quality of life will improve. You may worry about nursing home abuse, like staff mistreating or stealing from your loved one. But there’s another common form of abuse that you may not expect to look for: Resident-on-resident abuse.

If your loved one is being abused in a nursing home, you can seek legal representation for them. Thomas Law Offices can help you fight for the rights of your loved one. Nursing home abuse is a terrible thing and your loved one deserves to live a peaceful and happy life.

How Can Residents Abuse Other Residents?

When people move into nursing homes, they may be facing cognitive or memory issues that change their regular behavior that can lead to the abuse of other residents. This isn’t an excuse for abuse, but it may explain why this phenomenon occurs. There are a few ways that residents can abuse other residents.

• Verbal abuse can be making threats, rude comments, or yelling at other residents.
• Hitting, pushing, or shoving can occur between residents as well.
• Some residents may go through another resident’s belongings or disrespect their privacy in a way that makes the abused resident feel unsafe.

A main issue with resident-on-resident abuse is it’s under studied. Most research on nursing home abuse focuses on the people working there and their treatment of residents.

Signs of Resident-on-Resident Abuse

You may suspect that your loved one is dealing with nursing home abuse if you visit them and something seems off. There are also signs you can look out for even if you’re not sure if nursing home abuse is occurring.

Verbal abuse can usually lead to a change in mood or demeanor. An outspoken and lively person could become withdrawn or scared. While it’s important to remember that those with memory loss can sometimes exhibit signs of change, dramatic changes in personality should be questioned or inform you to keep an eye on your loved one.

Physical abuse can be easier to detect. Unexplained bruises or cuts can mean that another resident is hurting your loved one. Seniors do have an increased injury risk and a rare minor injury could have happened on accident, but if you’re noticing continual injuries then something is probably wrong.

What Steps Should You Take?

There’s a chance that your loved one won’t talk about the abuse because they’re scared of the other resident. Some seniors may have difficulty verbalizing their thoughts. When you think your loved one is being abused, you can advocate for them. Contacting Thomas Law Offices will put a skilled and experienced professional on your side who will do all they can to get your loved one the justice they deserve.