Unfortunately, nursing homes are not unique in the occurrence of elder abuse and neglect. Reports of neglect and abuse by staff at assisted living facilities have also become a national healthcare issue. These reports include similar issues as nursing home mistreatment, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as neglect and financial exploitation. Estimates of the mistreatment of the elderly living in these facilities range between four and five percent. However, the percentages may likely be higher due to many incidents that go unreported.
How To Report Abuse in Assisted Living Facility
When you suspect any type of maltreatment at an assisted living facility, you should document the evidence wherever possible and report your concerns to the management.
If you have a loved one who resides in an assisted living facility and you suspect that he or she has been subjected to some type of mistreatment, Sawyer Law Firm can help. Our firm focuses primarily on protecting the rights, safety, and health of our most vulnerable citizens. We want to listen to your story, inform you of your options, and take whatever legal action is necessary to hold negligent or abusive individuals accountable. We have assisted clients all over the state of Alabama in seeking justice for the harm done to their loved ones.
Contact Montgomery assisted living abuse lawyer J.P. Sawyer at (334) 539-0604 or online for a free case evaluation.
Assisted Living Abuse Cases
Assisted living facilities differ from nursing homes in that they do not provide medical care for residents. As their name suggests, these facilities provide daily living assistance for older individuals who are generally mobile, in good health, and who do not need skilled nursing care.
Residents of assisted living facilities may need help with dressing themselves, walking, personal hygiene, eating, or taking prescribed medications. Just because their services are limited to this does not mean these facilities are not subject to state and federal laws and regulations. As stated above, residents of these facilities are just as much at risk for abuse and neglect as those residing in skilled nursing homes.
Examples of assisted living abuse by staff in these facilities can include but are not limited to:
Verbal abuse. This can include belittlement, insults, ridicule, yelling, cursing, the use of scare tactics, and refusal to communicate.
Physical abuse. This can include slaps, pinching, physical isolation, and more.
Emotional abuse. This can include threats, constant criticism, blame, scapegoating, the use of profane language, rejection, and gaslighting.
Sexual abuse. This can range from unwanted touching to sexual assault.
Financial abuse. This can range from theft of cash, personal items, checkbooks, and credit card to identity theft, coercion into transferring assets, making a new will, or otherwise asserting undue influence over the resident’s assets.
Neglect. Residents in nursing homes can be subject to neglect as well, leading to poor hygiene, dehydration, malnutrition, deteriorating health, new medical conditions, and medical emergencies.
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