From Philadelphia, PA law offices, our personal injury attorneys represent victims and their families in nursing home neglect and abuse lawsuits and in cases involving elder abuse throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

A recent study by the University of California-Irvine’s Program for Geriatrics revealed that nearly 47 percent of people suffering from dementia were abused by caregivers. As elder abuse affects thousands of senior citizens in Philadelphia every year, increased understanding of caregiver and patient relationships may offer insight on how to combat elder abuse – specifically mistreatment of people with dementia.

Elder abuse occurs when a caregiver acts or fails to act in a way that causes harm to a vulnerable older adult; examples include: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, exploitation, neglect, abandonment and self-neglect. The UC Irvine study discovered risk factors for types of mistreatment.

The study revealed that those caregivers who have higher anxiety, depressive symptoms, fewer social contacts, greater perceived burdens and a poor emotional well-being were at increased risk to abuse elders in their care. Additionally, those persons with dementia manifesting in psychologically aggressive or assaultive behaviours were more at risk for mistreatment.

A major concern for dementia patients is that their memory disorder compromises efforts to investigate or confirm incidents of abuse. However, another UC Irvine study revealed that dementia patients had the ability to recall the cause of intentional injuries.

While the majority of abuse is inflicted by a relative, many people with dementia need special care and are served through assisted living and nursing home facilities. Incredibly, nearly one-third of nursing homes are cited for instances of abuse. While this number is concerning, what is even more alarming is that most incidences of abuse in nursing home facilities go unreported. In the case of people with dementia, abuse victims may not be aware that they are being abused or able to articulate that they are being abused or neglected. The case of Juanita Jackson brings these issues to light. Jackson, a dementia patient, was killed by her nursing home’s negligent care.

As larger percentages of our national population ages and suffers from compromising conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, the issue of elder abuse has now gained some of the attention it deserves. State officials, families and medical professionals need to be more diligent and aware of the potential for abuse of this vulnerable population and work to solve this national problem.

It is our duty to protect our loved ones who are vulnerable to abuse; please pay special attention to the elders of your family and look for warning signs. If you believe your loved one has been victimized by elder abuse, please contact an attorney experienced in these matters to fully protect your family’s rights.