We place our loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living environment when they can no longer care for themselves. They are naturally vulnerable, and the cruel reality is that many people prey on others when they are in this state. As the nursing home industry continues to grow in this country, many facilities can barely keep up, having to run on skeleton staffs with lax hiring processes. What is unfathomable is that nursing home sexual abuse cases are on the rise. Common types of sexual abuse in nursing homes:

•rape
•forced nudity
•molestation
•exposure to sexual materials (pornography or otherwise)
•unwanted sexual acts
•sexual coercion
•sexually explicit photographing 

Often times the victims of physical abuse are the ones that are the most susceptible, with disabilities or dementia. In other cases, residents are afraid to report abuse in fear of embarrassment or retaliation. It is also not uncommon for nursing home sexual abuses to occur from another resident, and could be caused by the negligence of nursing home staff or security.

To be sure, nursing home abuse is not always easy to discover. Many of the signs of abuse, such as bruises, dehydration, shallow breathing, jaundice and other indicia of abuse also can occur naturally. Other signs, such as bed sores, which often result from a failure to provide proper exercise for an elderly patient resulting in severe and persistent pressure on a tendon, are more obvious. Visit our information center to learn more about the types of elder care abuse or click on one of the links below to visit our attorney specializing in nursing home neglect and elder care abuse:

Compounding the problem is that many elderly patients do not report abuse or mistreatment for fear of retaliation or ridicule. It is important for you to explain to your loved one that they should feel comfortable discussing with you any deficiencies in their care, and that you will take those concerns seriously so that they feel free to speak with you.

If you are involved in an accident please call us toll free at 866-484-6992, fill out the online form to the right, or visit one of our three locations in center city Philadelphia, Lancaster or Marlton. If you live outside of Pennsylvania and New Jersey feel free to contact the American Justice Network, a personal injury litigation network that leverages decades of experience and relationships with attorneys to facilitate a connection with the best attorney for you.