Nursing Home Abuse: A Preventable Epidemic Fueled by Neglect and Inaction

With the senior population in the U.S. continuing to grow at a record rate, more families than ever are turning to nursing homes and long-term care facilities to provide comfortable and safe housing for their loved ones. But alongside this growing need comes a troubling reality: abuse and neglect in nursing homes remain a widespread and deeply underreported problem. Despite oversight from state and federal agencies, many cases continue to be overlooked, mishandled, or never investigated at all, leaving vulnerable residents without the protection they deserve.

An “Invisible” Issue

The true scope of nursing home abuse in the U.S. isn’t fully known, largely because only about one in 24 elder abuse cases are actually reported. However, it’s estimated that around 10% of adults over age 60 experience abuse each year, and in 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found that 85% of nursing homes in the U.S. had reported at least one allegation of abuse or neglect. And in 2018, one particularly shocking study of nursing homes across multiple countries—including the U.S.—found that as much as 64.2% of nursing home staff admitted to committing abuse.

Why Abuse Happens in Nursing Homes

Apart from the fact that older adults living in nursing homes are generally more vulnerable due to cognitive impairments, communication difficulties, and other challenges, there are many other reasons why nursing home abuse is prevalent. These include:

• Staffing shortages: Since 2020, the nursing field has faced record-breaking staffing shortages that continue to worsen, creating environments where burnout and lack of oversight are common, and the risk of abuse is substantial.
• Regulatory failures: A 2019 GAO report found that nursing home abuse cases more than doubled over four years, yet federal oversight remains inconsistent. Gaps in reporting, lack of clear guidance, and delays in investigations have allowed many abuse cases to go unaddressed.
• Ageism: The issue of nursing home abuse is often compounded by a larger overall cultural bias against elder adults. Ageism is a visible issue within many facilities, often manifesting in the form of “elderspeak,” a patronizing way of speaking with older adults. Ageism can also lead to the dismissal of complaints about abuse or even be a motivator for the act itself.

The Heavy Toll for Residents, Their Families, and Our Society

For victims of nursing home abuse, the effects are strikingly apparent. Studies have shown that victims of abuse are nearly twice as likely to be hospitalized and more than three times as likely to die prematurely compared to those who have not experienced mistreatment. That isn’t to mention the psychological trauma or the financial hardship that many victims endure years later.

But the impact extends even further. Abuse in nursing homes erodes trust between caregivers and residents, creating an environment of fear and silence where mistreatment is more likely to go unreported and unaddressed. Families lose confidence in the very institutions meant to protect their loved ones. Meanwhile, the financial costs, ranging from emergency care to publicly funded healthcare for preventable injuries, place additional strain on Medicaid, Medicare, and local health systems.

What’s to Be Done About Abuse?

As mentioned, there have been many efforts by government agencies as well as private organizations to address the growing level of abuse in nursing homes. Unfortunately, while well-intentioned, these efforts have proven to be mostly ineffective at correcting the issue. Most importantly, the goal of these efforts is often only geared towards prevention and fails to provide immediate medical or financial resources to the victims and their families, and rarely results in holding abusive nursing home staff members accountable for their actions.

Frustratingly, even prevention tactics have fallen short. While the federal government mandates that all nursing homes must be inspected at least once every 15 months, many states fail to meet this quota due to Health Department inspector shortages. For example, in New York City, over 73% of nursing homes have gone uninspected in the last 15 months (as of the date of this publication), and many have gone uninspected for many years.

There is no question that systemic reform is urgently needed, but one of the most effective tools families currently have to confront nursing home abuse is undoubtedly legal action. Nursing home abuse attorneys don’t just represent their clients in court but often serve as independent investigators, uncovering patterns of mistreatment that might otherwise go unnoticed or unpunished. Legal cases can lead to compensation for the victim’s injuries, financial exploitation, or wrongful death, but the impact goes beyond individual outcomes. When facilities are held publicly accountable, it sends a clear message that abuse will not be tolerated, helping to deter future misconduct and pushing the system toward overdue change.