RESIDENT ON RESIDENT ASSAULT: A WIDESPREAD EPIDEMIC

Could your loved one be a victim?

Nursing homes are environments where many individuals are frequently in very close contact with each other for extended periods of time.

In most cases, we might think of this as positive—imagining idyllic afternoons spent playing checkers and socializing in a sunny community break room. But what happens when this peaceful scene goes dangerously wrong due to resident on resident assault?

A recent study on resident on resident assault by the Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging showed that “2.4% of residents reported personally experiencing physical aggression from another resident”. In a study utilizing nurse observation, participants reported “30 episodes of resident-to-resident aggression on a single 8-hour shift…”.

Considering that many residents may be in compromised mental and emotional states due to conditions such as dementia, the statistics listed above are hardly surprising. Residents known to have cognitive and communication limitations may also fall prey to other residents because they are not able to let caretakers know what has happened.

Aggression, abuse and even assault between nursing home residents is very common. Could your loved one be experiencing assault from other residents due to poor supervision and inadequate staffing?

Nursing homes are paid facilities, responsible to provide adequate coverage and proper supervision in addition to the training critical to prevent such abuse. Failure to take adequate precautions to prevent resident on resident assault may mean that the Nursing Home is liable.

If you suspect that your loved one has been or might be the victim of resident on resident assault, contact contact a Palm Beach nursing home abuse lawyer at Fetterman & Associates.