Although concerns for nursing home residents often arise based on allegations of abuse by staff members, other residents can also be perpetrators of abuse. Of course, residents live together in one facility and will often interact, but a nursing home has an obligation to protect its patients\u2014even from other residents.<\/p>\n
The Nursing Home\u2019s Duty to Prevent Abuse<\/strong><\/p>\n Nursing homes have a duty to keep their residents safe and prevent abuse, including abuse from other residents. If one resident is being abusive towards other residents, then the resident should be controlled, and removed if necessary. There are also a number of ways nursing homes can help prevent abuse, for example by creating more private spaces for residents, improving lighting, ensuring proper staffing, and taking action when residents engage in abusive behaviors. If a nursing home fails to take an issue seriously, it may liable for injuries that could have been prevented.<\/p>\n All residents have the right to live in a safe environment. Mistreatment against residents can come in the form abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Abuse can include physical, mental, verbal, and sexual abuse. Neglect is the failure to provide proper care to a resident. Exploitation means the illegal or improper use of a resident\u2019s money or belongings.<\/p>\n Federal nursing home regulations provide residents with certain rights, including the right to be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to have security of personal possessions. The facility is required to have policies and procedures that prohibit abuse, neglect, and exploitation, to investigate and report all allegations of abuse, and to protect residents from mistreatment.<\/p>\n