Caregiver Abuse
Caregiver abuse can happen in any place that a person relies on someone’s ongoing help – whether the caregiver is paid or not. It can occur in a personal care home, in a nursing or group home, a hospital, a school, in rehabilitation programs, and even a person’s home.
How common is caregiver abuse?
Because of how much power caregivers have and how much abuse occurs “behind closed doors, we cannot state for certain.” But we do know some things:
- People with disabilities are between 2 and 5 times as likely to be abused as non-disabled people. (Sobsey & Doe, 1994)
- Although it is difficult to separate abuse perpetrated by paid caregivers from unpaid caregivers and family members, data provided from hospitals, institutions and non-family residences suggest that a large proportion of abuse of people with disabilities is done by paid caregivers. (Roeher Institute, 1995)
- In residential schools, included specialized treatment programs, schools for the deaf, blind, or developmentally disabled, the rate of sexual, physical and mental abuse is up to 3 times the non-residential rate. (Nosek, Crosse, Kay 1993)
- Elderly abused at 1 in 3 nursing homes nationwide. (ABC News, 2001)
- National study in 1996 found that 551,011, age 60 and over, experienced abuse, neglect in a one year period.
What can we do?
We all have a responsibility for ensuring at risk populations are not abused! Let us Help You.