Why Does Nursing Home Abuse Go Unreported?

If someone finds that a loved one has been abused or neglected by a staff member in a nursing home facility, it stands to reason that the family members will immediately report the abuse.  This isn’t always the case with nursing home abuse situations for a wide variety of reasons.  One of the major reasons is that the loved one begs family members not to tell for fear of retaliation or because of shame.  Abuse can often lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and worthlessness.  Abused residents can also feel that the abuse is their fault because they did something wrong or didn’t do something that a staff member wanted them to do.  Whatever the specific reasons, many residents prefer to leave the abuse in the past and try to move on with their futures.  Family members may also fear retaliation if nursing home abuse is reported.  Instead of exposing their loved one to more severe abuse, these family members choose to keep the abuse to themselves.  Other family members may question if abuse really happened, especially if their loved one has dementia or other conditions that can cause confusion in elderly people.  While no one would think a loved one was making up abuse, some people may question how abuse occurred if the stories told by loved ones don’t match up with other circumstances.  Not reporting abuse just allows it to continue and doesn’t do anyone any good, so please report nursing home abuse if you know it is happening.  If you need help with finding more information on reporting nursing home abuse, contact a California nursing home abuse lawyer for more information on how to proceed.