Why Does Nursing Home Abuse Happen?

Seniors are one of the most vulnerable populations in our society. For most of us, it is difficult to understand how someone could possibly take advantage of an elderly person, especially through physical abuse. However, the sad reality is that elder abuse occurs all too frequently, particularly in nursing homes where abusers exercise a great deal of control over their victims. Recent studies have estimated that as many as 24.3% of nursing home residents have experienced at least one incident of abuse.

While there is no single explanation as to why nursing home abuse occurs, most incidences of it usually involve one or more of the following phenomena.

Generally, the higher the patient-to-staff ratio, the less attention nursing home staff can pay to their residents. When understaffing reaches severe levels, quality of care can plummet, resulting in widespread frustration and resentment among both staff and residents. When this occurs, staff members who are experiencing a great deal of stress can often succumb to the pressure and resort to acts of physical violence against their residents. Understaffing can also lead to staff burnout, which can also decrease the quality of care residents receive.

Properly caring for the elderly requires a great degree of training and expertise. For example, nursing home staff must know how to correctly administer medication, how to bathe and clothe their patients, and how to move their patients without causing physical harm. Lapses in training among staff members can result in the provision of improper care, which increases the likelihood of injuries.

Nursing facilities that offer low pay relative to others in the area tend to attract less qualified or less experienced employees. Low pay, especially when combined with a lack of training, can cause employees to become hostile to their patients, seeing them not as human beings, but merely as a means to earn a paycheck. When residents are commoditized in this way, it increases the likelihood that they will suffer abuse or ill-treatment.

Not all nursing home residents are equally vulnerable to abuse. Some residents who meet certain characteristics may be more vulnerable to abuse than others. Residents who are particularly vulnerable to abuse include:

• Those with dementia or Alzheimer’s
• Women
• LGBT individuals
• Members of racial or ethnic minority groups
• Those who do not speak English
• Those with few social ties
• Those who require specialized care (e.g., individuals who are disabled or are required to eat certain diets, etc.).

It is the responsibility of the nursing home’s administration to properly vet and supervise their employees, keep their facilities operating in accordance with government standards, and maintain a culture of compassion, professionalism, and respect. A lack of proper oversight from management can quickly create a culture of apathy and carelessness among employees. Repeated failures to identify and correct safety and health violations can also have a snowball effect, leading employees to believe that they will not be disciplined for increasingly severe violations.