Putting a loved one in a nursing home is always a hard decision. Most families try hard to ensure the facility provides good care to its patients.
It often comes as a shock to families, but nursing home residents are vulnerable to sexual abuse. It is essential to know the signs and take immediate action when you suspect your loved one might have been a victim.
If you believe your loved suffered sexual abuse in a Torrington nursing home, contact D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, as soon as possible. Our nursing home abuse attorneys have decades of experience advocating for people who have suffered harm at the hands of others, and we will fight to get justice for your loved one.
Many families are aware that their relatives are vulnerable to mistreatment in nursing homes but may not realize that sexual abuse is a significant risk. Unfortunately, sexual humiliation, unwanted kissing or fondling, molestation, and even rape happen in these facilities. Torrington nursing home residents may suffer sexual abuse from staff, other residents, or visitors to the home.
Sexual abuse is prevalent in nursing homes because the residents are so vulnerable. They may not be physically capable of fending off unwanted touching or be alert and lucid enough to recognize abuse is happening. Staff members have access to patients’ bodies while they are bathing them or helping them with toileting and dressing and may sexually abuse them during these activities.
Some victims are incapable of communicating what happened to them, and for those who are lucid and verbal, stigma or shame may keep them from disclosing the incidents. Sometimes, residents aren’t sure that sexual abuse occurred; they just know they feel uncomfortable about something and don’t want to be with certain people. Loved ones must be aware of the possibility of sexual abuse and know the signs that it might be occurring.
Sexual abuse at any age triggers fear and shame, and many abuse survivors become depressed, anxious, or agitated. These responses in a nursing home patient could be due to many factors unrelated to abuse. However, when your loved one’s personality changes in these ways, it’s important to look into the cause.
There may be physical signs of abuse in some cases. Bruises on the breasts, buttocks, thighs, or genitals are a red flag. A new diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an indicator that sexual abuse has occurred.
Often, the patient will not show physical signs of sexual abuse, but they may be afraid of certain people or unwilling to receive care from specific staff members. Families should report this to the nursing home administrator and try to unpack the patient’s negative reaction to certain people. If the results don’t lead to clear conclusions, consider asking the facility’s social worker or another mental health professional to evaluate the patient.
When you discover your loved one has been the victim of sexual abuse, call a Torrington nursing home abuse attorney at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, immediately. They can evaluate the situation and advise you about the best next steps.
In some cases, calling the police is necessary. In other cases, law enforcement may not need to get involved immediately, but the patient or you as a family member should make a report to the Connecticut Department of Health’s Facility Licensing and Investigation Section after speaking with one of our attorneys or with our assistance. You also should send a written complaint to the nursing home administrator and, in an appropriate circumstance, demand that they facilitate the patient’s transfer to a different facility.
You or the patient can also bring a lawsuit against the facility with our help. When a staff member perpetrated the abuse, the facility could be liable for negligent hiring and supervision. If another patient or visitor was the perpetrator, the facility may be negligent for failing to provide a safe environment for your loved one. Our lawyers can discuss all of your legal options and rights in more detail during a private consultation.
No one should ever experience sexual abuse. It is an assault on a person’s humanity regardless of the circumstances, but it’s especially heinous when the victim is a nursing home resident.
Our team of legal professionals at D’Amico & Pettinicchi, LLC, has been successfully pursuing claims on behalf of injured people for decades. When your loved one has suffered sexual abuse in a Torrington nursing home, we can hold the negligent facility accountable. It won’t erase what happened, but it could provide some closure.
We offer free, in-person or remote consultations. Allow us to stand up for your loved one. Call today.
