When you place your trust in a Texas nursing home to care for your parent or other elderly loved one, you have the right to expect that they will be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion.
How Prevalent Is the Problem?
In 2013, the National Center on Elder Abuse released statistics highlighting the problem of elder abuse in the U.S. According to the study: nearly 6 million people over the age of 60 were abused, either by family members or by caregivers. The forms of abuse include neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and financial abuse. While the scope and severity can vary greatly, no amount of abuse is acceptable.
The numbers with respect to nursing homes are particularly troubling. The study shows that 91 percent of nursing homes lack adequate staff to properly care for all their patients. That lack of staff is a primary driver in the epidemic of neglect that we see today as overworked, undertrained staff intentionally and unintentionally perpetuate various abuses towards the residents in their charge. Further, 36 percent of the nation’s nursing homes have been found in violation of elder abuse laws. If all incidents were reported, that number would likely be even higher.
