Physical abuse is any intentional act of violence that involves physical injury or trauma to a nursing home resident. Such abuse may occur at the hands of nursing home staff or other residents. Hitting, biting, pushing, shoving and grabbing are examples of physical abuse, as is forcefully restraining or confining a resident for long periods of time.

If a person’s words or actions cause a resident fear, stress, anxiety or mental trauma, then this may constitute emotional abuse. Emotional, verbal and psychological abuse is particularly difficult to spot since the signs may be more subtle and not visible to the eye like physical abuse. However, this type of nursing home abuse can often be identified by noticing changed behavior in the resident. Name-calling, threats, insults and isolation are all examples of this emotional or psychological abuse.

Nursing home staff and administrators hold a position of power over residents—some of whom may be incapable of providing consent. As a result, nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse including non-consensual intercourse, oral sex, groping, touching or exposure. Nursing home residents who experience unsolicited and unwanted sexual activity may show signs of physical, emotional and psychological trauma.

Though different from other types of abuse where a resident is deliberately and maliciously harmed by another person’s actions, negligence is an intentional or unintentional failure to provide basic preventative care and appropriate treatment to nursing home residents. A resident may be neglected by the facility staff and caregivers, or by medical staff and doctors (malpractice).

Unfortunately, there are people out there who seek to exploit the vulnerability of nursing home residents for financial gain. Sometimes, facility staff members or administrators will seek to get financial control of a resident in order to commit fraud and abuse. Examples of financial exploitation include not allowing residents to access their own funds, forging bank documents, billing for services not provided, stealing their money or possessions, and manipulating a resident into giving up control of their money.