It is an unfortunate fact that senior citizens regularly face mistreatment in Virginia and around the country. One reason why older Americans are so much more vulnerable to abuse is because they’re often struggling to remain financially and physically independent. Nursing home neglect and abuse are common, but so is abuse that occurs within the senior’s own household.
The senior’s loved ones
Sadly, the number one suspect most likely to abuse an elderly Virginian is someone within the senior’s own household or family. The senior’s loved ones, especially if they don’t have support themselves, can wind up committing various types of elder abuse. For instance, an adult child caring for his aging parent might not have time to care for them during the day because they have to work. This could be considered neglect if the senior is not having their needs met.
Overworked nursing home staff
Nursing home staff can also become abusers, especially when they’re overworked, underpaid, or underappreciated. Even worse, some nefarious individuals seek out nursing home jobs specifically to target elderly residents.
Neglect in nursing homes can also happen when a facility doesn’t have enough nursing home staff to properly provide care for the number of residents.
Nursing home residents
Unfortunately, seniors in nursing home facilities can abuse other senior residents, too. This type of abuse can happen when nursing home staff allow unrestricted and unsupervised visiting hours between residents. It can also happen if staff aren’t monitoring each resident’s rooms as they should be.
Do your part to stop elder abuse
Since seniors often have no choice but to rely on others, they can wind up in potentially abusive situations or in facilities that can’t cope with the sheer number of residents they have. Nursing home neglect is an ongoing problem, but you can do your part to help support seniors by checking up on your aging loved ones as often as possible.