Wisconsin’s aging population is growing, which means that more and more people are entering nursing homes. But behind closed doors, elderly people are suffering at the hands of the people meant to protect them.
When you place your loved one in a nursing home, you trust that facility to provide compassionate, professional care. Unfortunately, that trust is sometimes broken through neglect, abuse, and exploitation.
A Milwaukee nursing home abuse lawyer can help families hold negligent facilities accountable, protect vulnerable residents, and pursue justice for the harm caused.
Statistics on Elder Abuse and Neglect in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ 2023 Annual Elder Abuse and Neglect Report provides insight into the prevalence of abuse in long-term care facilities across the state.
In 2023, the most commonly reported forms of elder abuse included:
- Financial exploitation (26%)
- Neglect by others (11%)
- Physical abuse (10%)
- Emotional abuse (5%)
- Sexual abuse (1%)
According to the report, nursing homes accounted for 75 cases (0.7%) of the total 10,895 reported elder abuse incidents in 2023. Community-based residential facilities reported 175 cases (1.6%), while residential care apartment complexes reported 20 cases (0.2%).
Adult family homes, both licensed and unlicensed, accounted for 964 cases combined (8.9%). While these percentages may seem small, they represent real people whose trust was violated by those charged with their care.
Types of Abuse in Long-Term Care Facilities
Elder abuse in nursing homes and long-term care facilities takes many forms, each causing major physical and emotional harm to vulnerable residents. The most common forms include:
- Physical Abuse: Direct acts of violence including hitting, pushing, restraining, or rough handling that results in injuries, pain, or impairment
- Emotional Abuse: Verbal assaults, threats, humiliation, intimidation, or isolation that causes psychological distress and damages a resident’s sense of self-worth
- Sexual Abuse: Any non-consensual sexual contact or exploitation, including inappropriate touching, sexual assault, or forcing a resident to witness sexual acts
- Financial Exploitation: Unauthorized use of a resident’s money, property, or assets, including theft, fraud, or coercing residents into signing documents or changing wills
- Neglect: Failure to provide necessary care, medical attention, nutrition, hygiene assistance, or supervision required to maintain a resident’s health and safety
- Medical Neglect: Withholding necessary medical care, medications, or treatments, or failing to follow prescribed care plans and medical orders
The Legal Rights of Nursing Home Residents
Abuse and neglect in nursing homes are not only reprehensible—they’re illegal. These facilities have a legal duty to protect residents from harm. Every nursing home resident has the fundamental right to live with dignity, receive appropriate medical care, and be free from abuse and neglect.
When nursing homes fail in their duty of care, nursing home abuse lawsuits provide a legal avenue for seeking justice. These civil cases allow families to hold facilities accountable for their negligence, seek compensation for medical expenses and pain and suffering, and push for changes that protect other vulnerable residents.
However, these lawsuits require extensive knowledge of federal and state regulations, medical expertise to prove injuries and damages, and the resources to investigate thoroughly and challenge well-funded healthcare corporations.
In these situations, a Wisconsin nursing home abuse lawyer can provide the support, guidance, and aggressive representation you need to seek justice.
Contact an attorney at Cannon & Dunphy S.C. today to protect your family’s rights and hold negligent facilities accountable.