Fights and altercations can occur in everyday nursing-home life, especially when a nursing home or assisted living staff are not trained in how to assist residents who may be suffering from psychiatric illnesses. The facility must have enough staff to properly assist and supervise residents based on their needs, ensuring a safe environment. Frequently, with systemic failures nursing home or assisted living residents suffering from improperly treated or managed psychiatric illness may be left in situations where they injure themselves, staff, or other residents.
The physical damages caused by resident on resident or staff on resident assault, include death, fractures, cuts, and bruises. Psychological harm such as depression may follow an altercation, which significantly decreases a resident's quality of life.
Nursing home and assisted living residents may also be victims of sexual assault either by staff or another resident. Physical damage may be present. Psychological harm of a resident who has been sexually assaulted, though, is extremely damaging and may lead to withdrawal, loss of appetite, fear of staff or other residents, deterioration and even death.
Problems with physical and sexual assault in nursing homes and assisted living facilities are often unreported or under-reported. This “sweeping under the rug” can lead to revictimization of nursing home residents, leaving them in isolation and fear every day.
Contact Schall at Law if you or a loved one has sustained an injury as a result of a physical or sexual assault in a nursing home, assisted living or group home.