Should I Be Worried About Sexual Abuse in My Parents’ Nursing Home?

 Posted on October 27, 2021 in Nursing Home Abuse

For most of us, there is nothing more horrific than someone taking advantage of an elderly person in their care - especially if that person is someone we love, like a parent or grandparent. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse takes place every day in residential care facilities in Illinois. 

Sexual abuse of elderly nursing home residents is one of the most pernicious and damaging types of abuse, and it is important to hold abusers accountable. Although nursing home residents and their families have a right to expect safe and standardized care, when nursing home staff either perpetrate abuse or fail to prevent it, an experienced attorney can help family members seek justice and prevent such abuse from happening again. 

What is Sexual Abuse of Elderly Nursing Home Residents? 

Many people are surprised to learn that, although sometimes nursing home staff abuse their patients, more often sexual abuse is perpetrated by fellow residents. Sexual predators often target nursing home residents because residents may struggle to communicate abuse or may not be taken seriously. Dementia patients often cannot construct a coherent account of what happened, and it is easy for perpetrators of the abuse to deny their behavior or claim the resident is imagining things. 

As ugly as it may be to contemplate the various forms of sexual abuse, it is important to be familiar with them so you can recognize the signs. Although rape is one form of sexual abuse, it is far from the only kind. Other common types of sexual abuse include: 

• Forcing residents to be unclothed against their will

• Inappropriately touching residents

• Making sexual jokes, innuendoes, or telling sexual stories to residents

• Taking and/or distributing vulnerable photos of residents

Inadequate staffing can lead to higher rates of sexual abuse because it is difficult for residents to be properly supervised. Staffing shortages also give nursing home management incentives to hire staff who could not pass a rigorous background or work history check. 

Meet with a Cook County Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

Protecting your loved ones in the face of abuse is a difficult but important responsibility. If you know or fear a family member or friend is being or has been sexually abused by nursing home staff, an experienced Chicago, IL nursing home sexual abuse lawyer with Schwartz Injury Law may be able to help you. Our attorneys have experience handling many different cases of elder abuse and, if appropriate, can help you take legal action against those who are responsible for the abuse. Call us today to schedule a free, no-risk consultation at our convenient downtown Chicago offices. Contact us at 312-535-4625. 

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1452&ChapterID=31 

https://eldermistreatment.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Consumer-Voice_sexual-abuse-issue-brief-FINAL.pdf