Nursing Home Injury and Abuse:

Nursing Home Injury and Abuse: There are approximately thirty-four million people over the age of 65. Nearly one in twenty will require some form of assisted living.

Unfortunately, our senior citizens are becoming victims of intentional abuse and neglect within nursing homes and assisted living facilities. While it is difficult enough to place a family member in a home, it is even more difficult to see that family member suffer under the care of an abusive, overburdened, and under trained nursing home staff.

Statistics form The National Center for Elder Abuse show that nearly one million senior citizens are victimized annually. The two most common types of injury include neglect of basic needs and physical abuse by the caregiver.

When abuse or neglect occurs in nursing homes and other assisted living facilities, it is often referred to as "institutional abuse." Institutional abuse can come in many forms, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

General neglect of seniors is the most prevalent type of abuse. Neglect is the result of a lack of interest in the well being of the senior citizen. While physical, sexual, and mental abuse are the result of intentional and purposeful acts of the staff, neglect may occur when a caregiver simply does not care.

Caregivers neglect their duty when they fail to provide some necessary element for the resident's survival. Such neglect can include anything from failing to provide food & water to not paying the heating bill.

If you have a loved one that has been harmed by neglect or abuse while staying in a nursing home or other institution, please contact a personal injury attorney immediately to protect your legal rights.