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Nursing homes are obligated by law to protect their residents from abuse – which includes resident on resident violence. This means that in most instances of resident on resident violence, the nursing home is at fault for neglecting its residents and not taking sufficient steps to guarantee their safety.
Sadly, resident on resident abuse is a common problem in nursing homes. According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2016, 20 percent of nursing home residents have been abused in some measure by their fellow residents. Often, residents who suffer from dementia or similar conditions are the perpetrators of resident on resident violence. Due to an altered mental state, they may have lost the ability to treat others respectfully and remain calm in stressful situations.
While preventing resident on resident abuse can be tricky, there are many steps nursing homes can take to minimize violence in their facilities and protect their residents’ fundamental legal rights.
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Most instances of resident on resident violence occur in nursing homes that are two crowded or inadequately staffed. When a nursing home is too full and residents don’t have access to private space, it forces them to spend lots of time together in an often small and congested space, and this can lead to frustration and, eventually, violence.
Similarly, in situations where there are too many residents and not enough staff, abuse can go unnoticed, or, alternately, staff may not have the time or energy to deal with it.
A nursing home has the legal duty to protect its residents and ensure their comfort and wellbeing. Nursing homes can prevent abuse by taking appropriate measures like increasing their staff, monitoring resident interactions, breaking up incidents that could turn violent, and not overbooking their facility.
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If a nursing home fails to protect its residents from violence, then that facility may be liable for the resulting injuries. In other words, the nursing home may be responsible for covering related medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, and pain and suffering.
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If your loved one has experienced resident on resident violence, and you are wondering if you have a claim, please feel free to call and speak to one of our experienced Georgia nursing home abuse lawyers today. Our consultations are always free. If you would like more information about this topic, be sure to click on our other videos, or better yet, click the subscribe button to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thank you.
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