Los Angeles Nursing Home Attorneys - Fighting Against Neglect and Abuse

How common is sexual assault in nursing homes?

A lot of people have a hard time believing that nursing home residents are subject to sexual abuse. Financial abuse, or physical abuse? That, they can believe. But sexual assault?

The truth is, sexual assault in nursing homes is far more common than you realize. In 2017, CNN issued a scathing report on just how often it happens. Their piece – Sick, Dying, and Raped in America’s Nursing Homes – detailed multiple instances of heinous sex crimes being committed against the elderly and infirm. Overall, they found more than 1,000 nursing home across the U.S., including homes in California, where staff had mishandled cases of suspected sexual abuse. More than 16,000 complaints of rape, oral copulation, digital penetration, and other types of sexual assault have been lodged in the last 19 years against:

• Other residents
• Aides, nurses and staff
• Visitors
• Family members
• Unknown assailants

Why the abuse continues

Per CNN, “the facilities that currently house more than 1 million senior citizens typically pay low wages to nursing assistants (about $11 or $12 an hour), making it difficult to attract and keep quality workers. And during the most vulnerable hours, the night shift, there are often few supervisors.” Add this to poor training, and you have the makings of systemic failure to protect patients.

Another common reason is the failure to believe the victims. In cases where the patients have dementia, disabilities, or other mental conditions, staff may be skeptical of the victim’s account.

Finally – and perhaps most insidiously – accusations of rape or abuse will lead to an investigation. Investigations can lead to the loss of residents. Fewer residents means less money for the facility. In short, nursing homes may put their profits ahead of the safety of their residents.