Resident-to-resident abuse happens in a nursing home setting when a resident abuses or harms the other resident. These scenes can be seen in nursing homes that are understaffed and crowded most of the time.
According to federal law, all nursing homes have to make the environment secure for all the residents. That means it is under the authority of the nursing home to ensure the environment is safe and take necessary steps to prevent any unwanted incidents from taking place. Hence, it is essential to choose a trusted and reliable place for your loved one to prevent these cases from happening.
These abuses can take place in any form, including emotional, physical, sexual, or verbal, which may cause distress and discomfort among the residents. If you or your loved ones are also involved in such a case, it is essential to have a legal consultation against it.
What comes under residence-to-residence abuse?
Here are a few abusive behavior that comes under resident-to-resident abuse:
- Physical abuse such as biting, hitting, kicking, and scratching.
- Verbal abuse like cursing, verbal threats, screaming, and swearing.
- Sexual abuse
- Bullying
- Hoarding resources
- Getting into private space without permission.
- Harming other’s property and damaging them.
- Attempting to steal things or money
- Exposing self
What are the signs of resident-to-resident abuse?
If you notice the following behavior in the actions of your loved ones, you should certainly take action. The warning signs that include resident-to-resident maltreatment are:
- Injuries on body
- Preference to move or relocate
- Low self-esteem
- Signs of Depression
- Suicidal ideas
- Loss of interest and change in the pattern of sleeping or eating.
- Decrease in capability to function in day-to-day life.
Can nursing homes be held liable for the abuse happening?
According to the law, it is the complete responsibility of the nursing homes to protect the residents from any kind of harm or abuse. The abuse can be from anyone related to the nursing home, whether it be the employee, residents, or visitors. Indeed, the nursing home can be held liable for the injury or damage that was caused to the resident since the nursing home failed to protect the resident from any abuse.
In many cases, it has been seen that patients who suffer from any mental issue like dementia are the ones who perform the abuse and mistreatment. However, this should not be an excuse to escape from the responsibility to protect other residents from mistreatment and abuse. An experienced and trustworthy lawyer for nursing home abuse can help you find essential documents and pieces of evidence that can help you claim liability against the nursing home.
