Panelists from law enforcement, Adult Protective Services, and a domestic violence agency spoke in Farmington last week. Citing statistics from recent studies by the Maine Attorney General’s Office and Office of Elder Services, Jessica Dorr stated that 12,000 Maine residents age 60 and above are abused each year. Dorr, a community educator on domestic violence issues, also provided information on warning signs of abuse.

Slap marks, bruises, bed sores, burns and other injuries that are questionable or difficult for the elderly person to explain can be red flags for physical abuse. Other warnings signs of abuse are poor hygiene, malnutrition, and sudden changes in behavior and financial circumstances.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse or neglect in a long term care facility, contact Benjamin Gideon at bgideon@bermansimmons.com

For more information on the panel discussion, see: Elder Abuse Frequent in Maine

Community and governmental organizations on every continent will recognize world elder abuse awareness day on Wednesday, June 15th. The day is in support of the United Nations International Plan of Action on Aging, which recognizes that elder abuse is a significant public health and human rights issue. People are encouraged to wear purple on June 15th in support of the day.

Abuse can take the form of physical or emotional abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect. The United States government estimates that in our country, hundreds of thousands of elders are abused, neglected or exploited every year, and that elders lose 2.6 billion dollars annually due to financial exploitation.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse or neglect in a long term care facility, email Benjamin Gideon at bgideon@bermansimmons.com.

For more information, see:
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal analyzed the risk of psychotropic medications given to nursing home residents. One type of psychotropic medication, atypical antipsychotics, has already proven to increase the risk of stroke and death in the elderly. Physicians have continued to prescribe other types of psychotropic medications to manage behavioral problems in the elderly, despite safety concerns. The study’s authors set out to determine the risk of these other types of psychotropic medications: typical antipsychotics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines prescribed for anxiety.

The study found that nursing home residents taking any of those drugs had a higher risk of death than residents taking atypical antipsychotics, although the atypical antipsychotics were already considered risky. Furthermore, the use of typical antipsychotics and antidepressants carried an increased risk of femur fracture.

Nursing home residents are often prescribed these medications because nursing homes choose not to spend resources on psychosocial and behavioral interventions that require staff training and time.

The study results can be found at:

Risk of Death and Hospital Admission

If you or someone you know has been harmed by neglect or abuse in a long term care facility, contact Benjamin Gideon at bgideon@bermansimmons.com

A recently published guide for consumers of long-term care provides information about consumers’ options and rights. The guide provides helpful advice for choosing long term care facilities or providers, and advocating for quality care. For instance, thoroughly documenting a problem with care in a nursing home makes a complaint to the Director of Nursing or the Long Term Care Ombudsman more credible and effective. A copy of the guide can be found at:

Piecing Together Quality Longterm Care

If you or someone you know has suffered abuse or neglect in a long term care facility, contact Benjamin Gideon at bgideon@bermansimmons.com

When the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Daniel R. Levinson, checked the names of more than 35,000 nursing home employees with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to see if they had criminal records, he found that 92% of nursing homes employed at least one person with a criminal conviction. Nearly half of all nursing homes employed five or more persons with at least one criminal conviction, according to a recently released report on the results of the investigation.

Mr. Levinson blamed a lack of clear regulations, and noted that given inconsistencies between regulations in different states, people convicted of a crime in one state have been able to find a job at a nursing home in another state. The report’s findings show that nursing homes are not doing enough to protect vulnerable residents from abuse or exploitation by employees.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse or neglect in a nursing home or assisted living facility, you may contact Benjamin Gideon at bgideon@bermansimmons.com

A New York Times article on the report can be found at:
Study Finds Criminal Pasts of Nursing Home Workers