What Prevents Nursing Home Residents from Reporting Abuse?

According to the National Council on Aging, up to five million older Americans are abused every year, often in settings such as nursing homes. The actual number of nursing home residents who become injured and suffer other losses due to abuse and neglect is actually unknown because so many residents do not come forward to report the abuse.

Almost 25 percent of nursing home abuse cases go unreported, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. So, why are residents so hesitant to come forward when they have suffered harm? Below, our Tampa nursing home abuse lawyers explain in greater detail.

The Fear of Retaliation

Several studies have shown that there is one common reason why nursing home residents do not report abuse and neglect. They fear that nursing home administrators or staff members will retaliate against them. They are afraid of the consequences they may face, such as being isolated or not receiving the proper care they need. Fear of retaliation in nursing home facilities also contributes largely to the following:

• Fewer incidents reported: Even when a nursing home resident has not faced retaliation before, the fear of it is still often enough to prevent them from reporting.
• Lack of investigations into incidents reported: It is not only residents who fear retaliation in nursing homes. Staff members may also fear retaliation from their supervisors if they report known incidents. This can keep staff members from reporting abuse and neglect, as well.
• Power imbalances: Nursing home residents depend on staff members for their most basic needs. This creates a power imbalance between nursing home residents and the staff members who care for them.

How Do Nursing Homes Retaliate Against Residents?

The fear of being retaliated against by the very people in control of your daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and eating is a very real concern for nursing home residents. There are a number of ways staff members may retaliate against residents, including the following:

• Cancel anticipated social activities
• Refusing access to water or food
• Refusing to help residents dress or bathe
• Berate and verbally abuse residents
• Physically harm residents
• Isolate residents from others, including loved ones and other residents
• Deny residents medication
• Violate the basic rights of residents, such as treating them with dignity

The above forms of retaliation can be terrifying for residents when their daily life revolves around what their caregivers will and will not allow them to have. To make the situation worse, residents often feel helpless and as though there is nothing they can do to remedy the situation.

How Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in Tampa Can Help

If you believe your loved one is being abused, our Tampa nursing home abuse lawyers at Kohn Law can help you report the incident to the facility and law enforcement, and ensure that your family member is protected from any type of retaliation in the future. Call us today at 813-428-8504 or fill out our online form to schedule a consultation and to get the legal help you need.

Source:

ncoa.org/advocates/public-policy/issues/aging-services/elder-justice/