What Causes Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect?

Nursing home abuse is a shocking form of mistreatment of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Victims and their families often wonder how such things happen. There are actually many factors that make nursing home abuse more likely.

These things do not excuse the behavior, and victims and their families may be entitled to compensation. If your loved one has been harmed by nursing home abuse or neglect, request a free, no obligation consultation today and learn your legal options.

Factors Involved in Abuse

Many factors can contribute to abusive or neglectful situations in nursing homes. The following factors are commonly linked to nursing home abuse and neglect:

• Understaffing: When a nursing home is understaffed, each caregiver is responsible for providing care to a higher number of residents than if the facility was adequately staffed. Residents suffer because they do not receive the care and attention they require. This is also known as neglect, and it can result in serious injuries such as bedsores, falls and muscle atrophy.
• Caregiver stress and exhaustion: Understaffing places a high amount of stress on caregivers, leading to exhaustion. This can cause inattentiveness, leading to unintentional neglect of a resident’s needs or injuries. Caregivers may also become frustrated and may harm or abuse a resident when they are stressed and exhausted. This does not excuse abuse in any way, but overworked staff members are simply more likely to make mistakes or lash out.
• Lack of training: Nursing homes must provide detailed training, giving caregivers the knowledge and tools needed to provide proper care for residents. When caregivers are not properly trained, abuse is much more likely to occur. Sometimes abuse is inadvertent because staff members do not know how to properly do their jobs.

Personal Issues with Caregivers

A caregiver’s personal issues can impact the care he or she delivers, leading to nursing home abuse or neglect. In addition to stress and exhaustion caused by understaffing, the following personal issues among caregivers can also lead to neglect and abuse in nursing homes:

Get Help from Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

Nursing home abuse and neglect can result in serious injuries or even death. If your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, our Wisconsin nursing home abuse lawyers can help.

Request a free, no obligation consultation today and our skilled attorneys will review your case. We will inform you of what legal options may be available to help you fight for justice.

We charge no upfront fees and payment is only due if we recover compensation on your behalf.

Call 414-333-3333 or fill out our Free Case Evaluation form now.