Nursing Home Abuse Causes
Causes of nursing home abuse vary but are often related to staffing issues and lack of oversight. If you suspect your loved one has experienced nursing home abuse or neglect, the team at LawFirm.com may be able to help you seek compensation from a nursing home abuse lawsuit.
Why Take Legal Action?
By filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit, you can seek financial compensation and justice from those who caused you or a loved one harm.
Results Secured
- $2.2 million for a Rhode Island resident who had a heart attack
- $2 million for the family of a California patient with dementia who passed away due to negligence
- $1.5 million for a woman in Minnesota with stage 4 bedsores
What Causes Nursing Home Abuse?
There are many different causes of nursing home abuse. Although most nursing home staff genuinely have the residents’ best interests in mind, one in three seniors reports having experienced or witnessed elder abuse.
Causes of nursing home abuse can include:
- Burnout
- Inadequate background checks during the hiring process
- Lack of training for employees
- Understaffing
In addition to this, there may also be some policies and practices from the nursing home company that contribute to abuse.
Call (888) 726-9160 now to get help seeking justice and compensation for nursing home abuse.
Structural and Corporate Causes of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse causes can range from a single employee having a bad day and taking it out on a resident to an administrative decision that impacts dozens or hundreds of nursing homes.
Ownership of nursing homes has become increasingly complicated in recent years, according to the National Library of Medicine. This is connected to a growing trend of treating nursing homes as investments.
In other words, there may be an increased motive in the elder care business to maximize profits in an environment with regulation difficulties and subsequent oversight.
Imagine all the ways this can cause nursing home abuse or neglect:
- Attempts to spend as little as possible can mean discouraging or denying needed medical care
- Cost savings for background checks and investigations may lead to hiring unqualified or even abusive workers
- Financial motivation can reduce internal oversight or even encourage hiding problems to avoid fines or negative press
- Low pay may lead to employees who don’t care and to employee shortages
- Understaffing can contribute to elder neglect, improper care for residents, and poor hygiene which can contribute to bedsores, infection, and general poor health
While incidents of abuse or neglect can happen despite responsible and caring leadership and ownership, treating nursing homes — and nursing home residents — as investments makes elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes far more likely.
Common Forms of Elder Abuse
One of the most disturbing facts about nursing home abuse is the underreporting of incidents.
The National Center for Victims of Crimes estimates that for every one case of elder abuse reported, 24 go unreported.
Physical Abuse
The most obvious type of nursing home abuse is physical abuse. Physical elder abuse is the purposeful use of force against an elderly person.
This can include:
- Hitting
- Kicking
- Pushing
- And more
Another physical type of abuse that can affect nursing home residents is sexual abuse, which is any form of non-consensual sexual contact with an older person.
This includes any sexual contact with those suffering from conditions that prevent them from giving consent, like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other cognitive impairments that can come with age.
Neglect
Nursing home neglect occurs when a caregiver fails to act in a way that protects a resident from harm.
This can include:
- Failing to provide adequate food or drink
- Not tending to physical needs
- Failing to administer needed medication or medical care
Unfortunately, the risk for elder neglect is particularly high in nursing homes and assisted living facilities with demanding residents and staffing issues.
Elder self-neglect occurs when an older person is no longer able to meet their own daily needs and, as a result, starts to suffer. Many older people struggle with losing their independence, and may not want to confront the reality that they can no longer feed, dress, or maintain themselves.
Self-neglect should never occur in a nursing home, however. When there are professional caregivers who are meant to be looking after an older person, signs that may suggest the presence of self-neglect indicate that the caregivers are neglecting their responsibilities.
Psychological and Emotional Abuse
An intentional act that inflicts fear, distress, or emotional pain on an older person is emotional elder abuse. This can take many forms, such as threats or insults. Nursing home emotional abuse can also include cutting off a resident’s contact with loved ones.
Elder abandonment is a type of abuse that can be considered psychological abuse. However, it could also be considered a form of neglect. This is the term for a caregiver simply ceasing to provide care or support without notice.
Financial Abuse
Nursing home financial abuse is the unauthorized use of an older individual’s resources. According to a study, elder financial abuse costs older adults an estimated $2.9 billion every year.
Get a free case review now if you or a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse. LawFirm.com may be able to connect you with a nursing home lawyer near you.
How Common is Nursing Home Abuse?
In 2020, over 15,000 complaints filed with nursing home ombudspersons were about abuse or neglect. When you consider that nursing home abuse — like most crimes — is often unreported, the actual number could be significantly higher.
According to a report from the National Center for Victims of Crime, nursing home abuse complaints fall into the following categories:
- 07% — financial abuse
- 14% — neglect
- 21% — psychological abuse
- 29% — physical abuse
- 22% — resident abuse (one resident harming another, either physically or sexually)
- 07% — sexual abuse
Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
There are many different signs to look for that may indicate your loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse. Among the most telling is that the nursing home staff offers poor explanations or seems evasive about a resident’s injuries.
Whether the issue is money that is unaccounted for, reports of neglect, insulting or cruel conduct, or bruises and other injuries, someone at the facility should be able to explain the cause of the harm.
Specific signs to look for in an elderly person that may indicate nursing home abuse include:
- Appearing scared or withdrawn
- Extreme weight loss
- Increased isolation from friends or family
- New sexually transmitted diseases/infections
- Poor personal hygiene
- Problems walking or sitting
- Sudden changes in behavior or personality
- Trips to different hospitals or emergency rooms
- Unclean or unsafe environment
- Unexplained injuries like burns, cuts, bruises, or broken bones
- Unpaid bills
If you believe your family member is being abused in a long-term care facility, you may be able to sue the nursing home and hold those responsible for their suffering accountable.
What To Do About Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse causes trauma and injury. Due to the age of the victims, it can often shorten their final years. Because of the increased vulnerability to abuse that older adults have, it’s essential to be aware of potential abuse and to take action.
If you suspect nursing home abuse:
- Call 911 for emergency help
- Document and signs of abuse or neglect
- Keep in contact with loved ones
- Report concerns to administrators
- Take accusations seriously
Although the harm that nursing home abuse causes is irreversible, you may be entitled to compensation through a nursing home abuse lawsuit. Our team of experts can evaluate your case and help determine your eligibility.
A nursing home abuse lawsuit can help with covering the cost of treatment — both physical and psychological — as well as the costs of moving your loved one to a safer facility.
Get a free case evaluation now to see if you can pursue an elder abuse case and hold those who harmed your loved one responsible.
Nursing Home Abuse Causes FAQs
Who can report nursing home abuse?
Anyone who suspects nursing home abuse can report it, including a resident’s family members or a staff member.
If you believe there is an emergency, you can call 911 to report nursing home abuse. In non-emergency situations, you can also contact a nursing home ombudsman or the Adult Protective Services in your state.
What causes nursing home abuse and neglect to be so common?
There are several factors that may cause nursing home abuse and neglect to be so common, including understaffing, lack of training, and a lack of oversight.
Additionally, seniors are often considered vulnerable due to mental and physical declines that come with age. Some residents may be unable to report abuse, which can make abusers feel confident they won’t get in trouble for their actions.
The best way to make elder abuse less common is to take it seriously and make sure that those who harm older adults are held responsible.
What are the warning signs for nursing home abuse?
Some warning signs to look for to indicate possible nursing home abuse include:
- Bedsores
- Bruises, broken bones, cuts, or other injuries
- Dehydration and malnutrition
- Fearfulness, lack of eye contact, or behavior changes
- Infections – especially new sexually transmitted infections
- Unexplained weight loss
These are all cause for concern, especially if the staff cannot provide adequate explanations.

Fact-Checked and Legally Reviewed by: Julie RiversEldercare Advocate
- Editor
Julie Rivers is a dedicated eldercare advocate with over 15 years of experience in nursing home neglect and abuse cases. Inspired by her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, she blends legal expertise and personal passion to support victims. An MBA graduate and active Alzheimer’s Association volunteer, Julie fights for better eldercare policies and justice for affected families.

Written by: LawFirm.com
LawFirm.com makes it easier to take legal action. We have information, lawsuit guides, and breaking news about drugs, products, and other issues that could affect you.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 6). “Nursing Home Care.” Retrieved January 2, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/nursing-home-care.htm
- Hawes, Catherine. (2003). “Elder Abuse in Residential Long-Term Care Settings: What is Known and What Information is Needed?” National Library of Medicine. Retrieved January 2, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK98786/
- The National Center for Victims of Crime. (n.d.). “Crimes Against Older Adults.” Retrieved January 2, 2025, from https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/ncvrw2018/info_flyers/fact_sheets/2018NCVRW_Stalking_508_QC_v2.pdf