Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Washington, DC, Maryland, & Virginia

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, there are nearly 17,000 nursing homes in the United States that currently care for 1.6 million residents--a figure expected to quadruple to 6.6 million residents by 2050. Each year, as thousands of families in the Washington, DC area turn to nursing homes to give their elderly loved ones the care they need, the number of nursing home abuse and negligence rises steadily. In past years, there have been reports that nearly one-third of all nursing homes have been cited for abuse violations.

The number of incidents reported in nursing homes and assisted care facilities has greatly increased over the past several years, yet there is also significant underreporting of nursing home abuse and neglect. According to findings of the National Academy of Sciences Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect, the major causes of neglect and abuse in nursing homes are:

Stressful working conditions and staff shortages
Staff burnout
Inadequate staff training
Negligent Hiring

According to the Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Resource Center, signs of abuse can be physical and verbal/emotional. Negligent care can also manifest itself in a variety of ways and may show itself in more subtle ways than physical and emotional abuse.

Physical Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect:

Assault
Rape
Unreasonable physical restraint
Prolonged deprivation of food or water
Improper dispensing of medication
Unexplained injuries
Open wounds, cuts, or bruises

Emotional/verbal abuse warning signs:

Emotionally upset or agitated
Extremely withdrawn or uncommunicative
Unusual behavior
Humiliating, insulting, threatening, or ignoring behavior towards family and friends
Wanting to be isolated from family and friends

Signs of Neglect:

Disregard for the necessities of daily living
Failure to prevent bed sores
Failure to assist in personal hygiene
Unsanitary room conditions
Infections
Failure to protect from health and safety hazards
Poor access to medical services

Recent Group Home/Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse Settlements

In excess of $2 million obtained on behalf of 9 claimants against the District of Columbia and its contractors resulting from the negligent care of developmentally disabled wards of the District of Columbia
$1.8 million obtained on behalf of an already paralyzed stroke victim, against a wheelchair transport company which dropped him on his head from the van onto the sidewalk when transporting him from physical therapy to his home.

If you believe your parent or loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, please call or email the experienced nursing home negligence lawyers today at Chaikin and Sherman, P.C. We are committed to obtaining justice for you—the victim.

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