Nursing Home Statistics

Nursing homes have an obligation to provide for the residents in their care. However, the number of reports of nursing home abuse and neglect is staggering. By some estimates, as many as 25 percent of residents suffer from abuse and 90 percent experience neglect. Residents who are subject to abuse or neglect have a much lower quality of life and also have an increased chance of suffering severe, if not fatal, injuries. At the Fotopoulos Law Office, our Orland Park nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer helps residents and families pursue meaningful compensation through personal injury and wrongful death claims against nursing homes.

Nursing home abuse and neglect is a serious problem. How serious? Below are some of the most startling nursing home statistics:

While most people associate nursing home abuse with a staff member assaulting a resident, nearly a quarter of all abuse cases involve resident-on-resident abuse. Resident-on-resident abuse occurs when one resident assault another, often because the assaulting resident suffers from some type of mental health issue. Nursing homes have a duty to protect residents from resident-on-resident assaults and can be held financially liable in the event they fail to do so.

To provide the necessary level of care to its residents, a nursing home must have enough staff members. As a group, nursing home residents require a significant amount of one-on-one attention. However, in recent years, the nursing home industry has experienced severe staffing shortages. By some estimates, as many as 90 percent of nursing homes are understaffed. Nursing homes that fail to provide enough staff members to care for residents may be liable for any resulting injuries.

While most cases of nursing home abuse involve physical assaults, nursing home residents experience various types of abuse, as well. According to the United States Department of Justice, the most common forms of nursing home abuse include:

• Physical abuse – 29 percent of all complaints
• Resident-on-resident abuse – 22 percent of complaints
• Psychological abuse – 21 percent of complaints
• Gross neglect – 14 percent of complaints
• Financial abuse – 7 percent of complaints
• Sexual abuse – 7 percent of complaints

One of the biggest challenges in determining the true rate of nursing home abuse and neglect stems from the fact that, in most cases, these instances go unreported. Nursing home abuse is a crime; however, according to recent estimates, 55 percent of abuse targeting a nursing home resident is not reported to the police.

As a whole, nursing home residents are a very vulnerable population. Thus, a minor injury that a healthy adult could recover from without issue can cause an older person to enter a downward spiral. According to the Office for Victims of Crime, residents who are subject to abuse are three times more likely to die prematurely.

The bottom line is that nursing home abuse and neglect is a very real problem, and only nursing homes can put a stop to it. Families with a loved one who was abused or neglected in an Illinois nursing home can pursue a personal injury or wrongful death claim against the facility to hold it accountable for the harm their loved one suffered.

If you believe that your loved one is being subject to nursing home abuse or neglect, reach out to the Fotopoulos Law Office for immediate assistance. At the Fotopoulos Law Office, we have more than two decades of experience helping families hold negligent and abusive nursing homes responsible. We offer free consultations to residents and families, during which we will answer your questions and provide a clear overview of the recovery process. If you decide to bring a case, we will not bill you for any of our services unless we can recover compensation on your behalf. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation with an Illinois nursing home neglect and abuse lawyer, reach out to the Fotopoulos Law Office at 708-942-8400. You can also reach us through our online contact form.