Elder Abuse In Nursing Homes

On October 20, 2013, USA Today had reported that Cynthia Thoreson, an 88-year-old woman, was found in her home with an untended broken leg, covered in feces. “By the time the ambulance showed up to the house, the old woman's screams were, as the paramedics would later tell it, already at a 10 out of 10.” Unfortunately, the woman’s wails could not be heard by neighbors- who were unaware that she lived in the home. According to USA Today, her daughter and caretaker heard her agonizing screams and decided to wait three weeks before calling for help. Cynthia’s silent suffering now joins millions of those that are, like her, facing the defilement towards nature: elder abuse. This maltreatment can occur inside of an elder’s home as well as in a nursing

Victims of abuse are not only observed in their household- they can also be found in nursing homes. “Within our nursing homes and assisted living facilities, nearly 10%, or roughly 150,000 seniors experience elder abuse each year. It is estimated that roughly 1,800 deaths each year occur due to elder abuse” as told by Paul & Perkins PA. On December 2014, Frank Mercado, an elderly dementia patient, was reported dead inside of the University Nursing Home in New York. His death was due to a punch given by a nursing home aide, who was uneducated in the proper way of treating patients with dementia. People often abuse elders due lack of knowing how to properly care and their feelings towards the capabilities of the

Some estimates range as high as 5 million elders who are abused each year. One study estimated that only 1 in 14 cases of abuse are reported to authorities”. Throughout the article, Elder Justice Initiative, Bethesda Pike informs the reader of the several forms of abuse such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, neglect or abandonment and financial abuse. Pike also discusses the signs of abuse which includes unexplained bruises, burns, and injuries. In Elder Abuse, Sharon Wallace Stark presents the need for an increased awareness of elder abuse, identification of its signs and symptoms, and prevention initiatives. The reader is informed of the unreported abuse of the elderly and health care providers are stressed to know their responsibility to report the abuse. Although every state in the United States defines elder abuse, Stark acknowledges the inconsistency of the laws and definition of abuse among states. For example, the Adult Protective Services (APS) is available in every state, but assistance is only provided when the victim agrees or is shown mentally incapable to make decisions by the