Nursing home violence does not only come at the hands of staff members

Nursing home violence is often caused by angry, frustrated and over-worked staff members who take their problems out on residents.  However, not all cases of physical abuse and assault which are suffered in nursing homes come directly from the employees.  New research confirms that many nursing home injuries are caused by attacks from other residents.

>>INFORMATION: Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuits

Researchers at Cornell University in New York City reviewed police records for elderly individuals in long-term care facilities to evaluate the causes of resident-against-resident nursing home violence.  This is an area which is not often discussed, and Reuters reports that this is only the second published report on this type of nursing home abuse.

The study found that cases of peer to peer nursing home abuse are often triggered by competition over a seat in front of a TV, unwanted touching or a residents entering another’s room.  In many cases dementia and confusion are factors in one or both of the residents involved in the attack.

NURSING HOME VIOLENCE LAWSUITS

While many cases of residents attacking other residents occur with no forewarning, our lawyers have reviewed several nursing home violence lawsuits where the facility knew or had reason to know that an aggressive and threatening resident posed a danger to others and did nothing to protect innocent individuals living at the home.

A nursing home has an obligation to ensure the safety of their residents and to provide a living environment where they will not be exposed to unnecessary risk of injury.  If an assault or attack occurs at the hands of another resident, the circumstances surrounding the attack must be reviewed to determine if the nursing home failed to follow the proper standards of care in the industry to avoid the incident.

If you, a friend or family member suffered a nursing home injury, determine if compensation may be available by requesting a free claim evaluation.