When the topic of Kentucky nursing home abuse comes up, people generally think of residents being abused by caregivers in the nursing home. This is not the only scenario, however.
Resident-to-resident aggression (RRA) is evidently common in nursing homes. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), about 80 to 90 percent of residents suffer from some degree of cognitive impairment. This often manifests in behavioral problems and aggression, at times toward other residents of the nursing home.
Finally, A Research Study
Tony Rosen and Mark S. Lachs of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Cornell University’s Weill Cornell Medical College led a team of researchers to study the prevalence and characteristics of RRA.
In a large, nonprofit Manhattan nursing home, the researchers created 16 focus groups consisting of 96 staff members, both clinical and non-clinical, as well as seven nursing home residents who were reliably capable of self-reporting.
Types of RRA Observed
The participants in the focus groups observed and documented the following 35 types of physical, verbal, and sexual abuse:
Physical Abuse
- pushing;
- punching or fighting;
- hurling or pouring liquid;
- threatening physically;
- hitting the resident with an object;
- fighting over or taking food;
- slapping;
- deliberately running into the resident with a wheelchair;
- grabbing;
- throwing objects;
- stealing;
- going into the resident’s room uninvited;
- physically abusing (general);
- kicking;
- blocking the resident’s path;
- pinching;
- taking the resident from his or her bed;
- smothering the resident with a pillow, or suffocating;
- scratching;
- slamming the door on the resident’s fingers;
- twisting or bending the arm;
- fighting over clothes or accusing the resident of stealing clothes;
- slapping the resident’s hand away; and
- spitting.
Verbal Abuse
- screaming or yelling;
- demanding that the resident “shut up”;
- verbally abusing (general);
- cursing;
- arguing;
- verbally threatening or intimidating;
- bossing or ordering around; and
- making racial or ethnic slurs.
Sexual Abuse
- trying to get into bed with the resident;
- touching inappropriately (physical abuse); and
- using verbal sexual abuse.
When and Where RRA Occurs
The observers recorded RRA happening in nearly all public and private areas, at any time of the day or night. Most incidents occurred in the afternoon. The majority occurred in the dining room and in residents’ rooms.
Nursing homes have a responsibility to residents to keep them safe—even from each other.
Has Your Loved One Been Injured In A Nursing Home?
If you believe your loved one is being subjected to nursing home abuse you need to speak with an experienced Kentucky nursing home neglect attorney as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at 888.450.4456 to schedule a free consultation.