Nursing home abuse takes advantage of one of the most vulnerable segments of our population, and is an endemic problem across the United States and in Alabama. Additionally, as things look, the number of victims is only going to grow. According to the Nursing Home Abuse Guide, the 2010 census reports that nearly 13% of the population is over the age of 65. Right now nearly 6 million people are over the age of 85, and this number is only estimated to rise in the future.
One of the most important things to know about nursing home abuse is that, while it definitely can be physical in nature, this is actually a more uncommon form. What is much more common is for unscrupulous employees of nursing homes to take financial advantage of elderly residents. It is not uncommon for victims of nursing home abuse to rewrite wills and testaments in order to comply with the demands of their abusers.
Even worse, the elderly is probably the demographic that is least likely to report abuse. Many of them may be suffering from dementia or other similar diseases, which makes it difficult for them to report on their own. Others, who may be aware that their families are unable to care for them themselves, may keep quiet about abuse so as to not burden their loved ones. It is very important that family members of elderly persons in nursing homes keep open lines of communication and their eyes wide open for potential signs of abuse.
This post is intended to inform you about the nature of nursing home abuse, but is not intended to be legal advice.
