An Inside Look at Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes
A recent CNN investigation has found that sexual abuse in nursing homes is a far more common issue in the nation than previously thought with many incidents going unsolved.
Among the incidents reviewed is the case of an 88-year-old nursing home resident in California. The woman said she awoke one night to find her catheter had been removed and her bed was wet. She was naked and unaware of what was happening when she saw a male nursing assistant staring at her. In the weeks that followed, the victim complained of severe vaginal pain and blistering – a diagnosis showed she had contracted incurable genital herpes. The perpetrator was never found.
Women aren’t the only victims of nursing home sexual abuse either. In another case, a group of male nursing aides were found to have abused and degraded male residents in their facility over the course of months. One of the victims who suffered from cerebral palsy was forced to walk in the nude, presumably for the entertainment of his perpetrators. In another case, a nursing home resident was forced to eat feces from his own adult diaper.
These stories are graphic, but they’re real accounts of the atrocities that are occurring in nursing homes across the nation. Worse still, it appears that in most cases, the perpetrators are not fully brought to justice. In the case of the abused men, the male nursing aides were identified but their punishment was limited to a loss of their certifications. Further investigation from a Disability Rights Agency in California confirmed that these aides had never even faced charges.
Nobody should ever have to worry about their loved ones enduring the horrors of sexual abuse or any inhumane treatment. If you suspect a loved one is a victim of sexual abuse in a New Jersey nursing home – or if your loved one tells you they’ve been abused, you need to act immediately.
Contact the experienced nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Sugarman Law. Call or email the firm today to schedule your FREE consultation with a lawyer who will fight to hold the nursing home liable for sexual abuse in your loved one’s case. Mr. Sugarman has two conveniently located offices, in Marlton and Somerville, so that he can work with you for your family.
