According to a congressional report, the elderly are abused in 1 out of every 3 nursing homes. This report has many families concerned that their loved ones may be the victims of nursing home abuse in Florida.
The study prepared by the minority staff of the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee, reported that 30 percent of nursing homes in the country were cited for abuse. The figures obtained in the study were alarming. Based on what researchers found, 5,283 facilities were cited for nearly 9,000 instances of abuse over a two-year period.
There are many forms of nursing home abuse, including:
- Untreated bedsores
- Poor medical care
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Preventable accidents
- Inadequate sanitation
- Poor hygiene
Among the cases of nursing home abuse, 1,601 incidents were so severe that they caused “actual harm to residents” or placed “the residents in immediate jeopardy of death or serious injury.”
The nursing home abuse identified in the study was shocking. In some cases of elder abuse, a member of the nursing home staff was accused of physically or sexually abusing a resident. Other cases involved staff members who were cited for failing to protect individuals from abuse by other residents.
There were some incidents that involved residents who were slapped, chocked, kicked or punched, resulting in broken bones and other injuries.
If your loved one is living in a nursing home and you suspect abuse, you need to take action immediately. Contact an Orlando, Florida nursing home abuse lawyer at the Law Offices of Lilly, O’Toole & Brown, LLP at (863) 533-5525. You can hold the nursing home facility accountable for the treatment of your elderly loved one.
For more information regarding the common types of nursing home abuse injuries, read our article, Ten Common Nursing Home Injuries in Florida.