It makes sense to believe that nursing home abuse and neglect is something the staff at the facility is doing. However, according to BMC Health Services Research, staff are not the only perpetrators in nursing home abuse cases.
Besides staff, abuse may also result from interactions with other residents and visitors.
Staff abusers
Abuse by staff members at the facility is the biggest concern because they have the most opportunity. On the other hand, the staff is under a lot of surveillance. If they do abuse a resident, there is often evidence. You would have an easier time building a case against a staff member abusing one of your family members than you would with any other abuser.
Resident abusers
Residents who abuse other residents may also be easy to discover. Many times, the residents who are acting out in aggressive ways do so because they cannot control their actions. They may have medical issues that lead to such behavior. It is common for the situation to be one that is not intentional.
However, intentional abuse situations can still occur. It may happen in residents who are in romantic relationships.
The biggest issue with resident abusers is that many staff members and administrators see this as a normal part of nursing home life. They consider it a risk of living in the facility and something that will happen no matter what safeguards may be in place. It can be tricky to get the nursing home to implement measures to stop it.
Visitor abusers
If other family members are abusing your loved one, it can be very difficult to stop. The staff and administrators may feel it is a family matter and not want to involve themselves. At the same time, your loved one may be reluctant to talk about the abuse and not be helpful in discovering what is going on.
Nursing home abuse of any kind is not something you should tolerate. You have every right to advocate for your loved one and find a way to stop the abuse.