Riverside County Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many different forms in skilled nursing facilities and assisted-living facilities throughout Southern California, including sexual abuse. What do you need to know about sexual abuse and sexual violence in nursing homes or assisted living facilities? An experienced Riverside County sexual abuse lawyer can help.

About 10%of all Americans aged 60 and older have experienced at least one type of elder abuse, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), and as the NCOA clarifies, sexual abuse is one form of elder abuse that is common in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

What is sexual abuse in a nursing home setting or in an assisted-living facility? Like other forms of or incidents involving sexual violence, elder sexual abuse is defined as “touching, fondling, intercourse, or any other sexual activity with an older adult, when the older adult is unable to understand, unwilling to consent, threatened, or physically forced.” In addition to forms of sexual assault and sexual violence, sexual abuse in a nursing home can also involve taking nude photos of an elderly resident without their consent, engaging in sexual harassment, or making sexual jokes when providing care for an elderly resident.

Identifying sexual abuse in a nursing home or assisted living facility can be especially difficult given the psychological effects of this type of abuse and the age and psychological health of the victims. In general, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, it can be extremely difficult for victims of any age to come forward with a report of sexual assault or rape due to stigma and the difficulty of obtaining clear evidence. When an elderly person is the target of sexual abuse, the power dynamics that exist in nursing homes can make it even less likely for the victim to report themselves. In addition, as the Alzheimer’s Association emphasizes, cognitive impairments, including dementia, can often make it impossible for an elderly person to make a report since they do not have the cognitive ability to do so.

Accordingly, it is particularly important for family members and loved ones to know the signs of sexual abuse, which may include but are not limited to:

• Bruises, cuts, sores, or bleeding in the genital area or around breasts;
• Torn or bloodstained undergarments;
• Unexplained diagnosis with a sexually transmitted infection;
• Sudden change in behavior, including signs of depression, difficulty sleeping or eating, or loss of interest in activities; and/or
• Fear of a particular employee or nursing home resident.

Unlike many other forms of abuse in a nursing home or assisted-living facility in Southern California, sexual abuse is often perpetrated by nursing home employees and by other residents of the nursing home or assisted-living facility. As the National Council on Aging underscores, if you have any concerns at all about abuse or recognize any of the common signs of sexual abuse or another form of elder abuse or neglect, it is critical to report your concerns to ensure that your elderly loved one is safe.

Nobody wants to think about the possibility of sexual abuse occurring in a nursing home, but sexual abuse is, unfortunately, a common form of elder abuse in Southern California nursing homes and assisted living facilities. An experienced Riverside County sexual abuse attorney can talk with you today to learn more about the case and to help you determine your options. Contact the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group to learn more about our services.