Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Introduction3

Background4

Forms of Elder Abuse5

Physical Abuse6

Emotional abuse6

Sexual abuse7

Abandonment by caregivers7

Financial Exploitation7

Healthcare Fraud and Abuse8

Statistics8

Roles of Organizations in Protecting Elderly12

Recommendations13

Conclusion15

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Introduction

Elder abuse and neglect can be defined as deliberate action that causes pain or any sort of harm or produce a serious risk of harm to a susceptible elder person by his family member or any other person who has any association with that elder person. This occurs because the care giver or the loved one fails to provide adequate care and safety and cannot satisfy the basic necessities of an elder person (Bonnie & Wallace, 2003). Although the recent era is too much fast and nothing could be hidden, specially any sort of crime and abuses.

Media is playing very active role in this regard, but still there are many cases that remain unreported throughout the world. According to a survey, female elders are abused more than the male elders. The older females are more becoming the victim of elder abuse and neglect (National Center on Elder Abuse, 1998). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the issue regarding “Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect”, what are the consequences if this issue remain neglected, its prevalence and what policies and steps should be taken to minimize the risk and finally the recommendations that can assist in minimizing this serious issue.

Background

According to one study on incidence report that 7.6% to 10% of study participants suffered in previous years (Acierno, Hernandez et al. 2010). After reviewing data from state Adult Protective Services (APS) agencies presents an enhancing drift in reporting abuse and neglect cases in elders. Still most of the cases remain unreported. Approx 4-6% of elderly people of developed countries have suffered some sort of domestic abuse, although the elder ones are feared to report cases or by telling to any one whether he or she is a family member or relative or close friend.

Data available on the degree of the problem in organizations or institutions like nursing homes, hospitals and other long-term care settings is not well enough to know the incidence and prevalence of the problem. A survey conducted in United States of America of nursing-home staff suggests that approx 36% of nurses witnessed at least one elder people become victim of physical abuse in last year. 10% of them committed that at least one of the physical abuse act has been done towards an elderly patient. 40% of them admitted that they psychologically abuse the patients.

Elders who become the victim of abuse, in comparison with the people who did not become the victim had a 300% higher risk of death (Dong, Simon, et al. 2011). There are no findings available from research that elder abuse victims have had considerably increased levels of psychological distress and lower perception of self efficacy than older adults who had not become the victim (Comijs et al 1999).

This issue not only creates troubles for the people who are associated but also impacting the economy and has prominent fiscal ...