As a personal injury attorney that handles elder abuse and nursing home neglect or abuse cases, I am not surprised by the recent statistics released by the State on elder abuse in Oregon. And the stats do not lie. Elder abuse at home and in nursing homes neglect and abuse is an epidemic which will only get worse as more baby boomers transition into retirement. I have written past blogs about elder abuse before.
Specifically, the Oregon Department of Human Services released its first report tracking abuse of the elderly and adults with physical disabilities. A snapshot of the findings for 2010:
Totals: More than 27,000 reports received, 11,998 investigated, 2,608 confirmed victims.
Place of abuse: 85 percent of victims were abused in their homes; 15 percent in state-licensed care settings, such as nursing homes.
The victims: Women were nearly twice as likely to be reported victims as males; elderly more often than disabled adults.
The abusers: In care settings, the direct caregiver was the most common abuser. At home, it was relatives.
Financial abuse: More than 850 cases of financial exploitation were confirmed.
Other abuse: Investigators confirmed 1,619 cases of neglect, 411 reports of physical abuse and 32 cases of sexual abuse.
If you or someone close to you has been a victim of elder or nursing home neglect or abuse, feel free to call me for a free consultation.