Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Earlier this week, a report from a local Maine source chronicled the sexual abuse that an elderly man suffered at a local nursing home. According to the report, the man’s family lived nearby, but, because of his declining health, could not provide him with the day-to-day assistance that he needed. They decided to place him in a nursing home in their neighborhood.
The elderly man, who was partially deaf and completely blind, was also losing control of his reality due to an aggressive case of dementia. He was therefore completely dependent upon the staff of the nursing home. When his family would come visit him, he would try to explain that there was a male nurse that would “take sexual favors from him.” But the family believed that this was the man’s illness speaking, rather than reality.
However, a few months later, another nursing home employee caught a man sexually abusing the elderly man. It is believed that the offender chose this man in particular because he was exceedingly vulnerable and had little to no way to effectively report the abuse.
As it turned out, the offender had been convicted of several other offenses in prior years, one of which involved “lewd and lascivious” behavior.
Preying on the Elderly
Unfortunately, as long as nursing homes and care facilities are around, there will be people who prey on the elderly. These people choose their targets because they feel as though they can get away with their conduct because no one will believe their victims. The sad truth is that is often the case.
An unimaginable amount of nursing home abuse goes unreported each year. In part, this is due to the fact that the families of those suffering the abuse chalk their loved one’s reports of abuse up to their declining physical condition or a plea to get attention and get out of the nursing home. However, as the article above shows, nursing home abuse is not something that is unheard of, nor is it uncommon for that matter.
It is estimated that one in 10 elders in a nursing home suffer some kind of sexual or physical abuse. If you were to include mental, psychological, or financial abuse, that figure jumps to closer to one in four. Your loved one does not need to stand for this kind of treatment.
Is Your Loved One at Risk?
If you have a loved one in a nursing home or care facility who you believe is suffering from physical, sexual, psychological, or any other kind of abuse, you should consult with a dedicated nursing home attorney as soon as you ensure your loved one’s safety. The last thing you want is to have not taken any action until it is too late. The dedicated lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have years of experience holding nursing homes and their employees responsible for the abuse they inflict. Click here, or call 410-654-3600 today to schedule a free initial consultation with a dedicated nursing home attorney.
See More Blog Posts:
North Carolina Cites Nursing Home for Inadequate Care and Abuse, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published July 14, 2014.
Staffing Shortage May Have Been Responsible for Boy’s Death at Maryland Group Home, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published July 28, 2014.