Nursing home abuse and negligence can take many forms, from deliberate indifference for health and safety regulations to unintentional consequences from understaffing. In any case, nursing homes have a legal obligation to protect their residents from harm. Unfortunately, this sometimes includes preventing patient-on-patient attacks. This kind of violence—which involves aggressive residents attacking other vulnerable patients—is unfortunately far from uncommon.
While nurses, staff, and visitors can undoubtedly cause nursing home violence, perhaps the most common type of violence in nursing homes comes in the form of patient-on-patient abuse, which is sometimes called “resident to resident elder mistreatment” (RREM). These kinds of patient attacks are usually preventable through appropriate supervision. If another patient has attacked a family member who resides in a nursing home, it’s crucial that you hold the nursing home accountable by getting in touch with the experienced nursing home abuse lawyers at Dalli & Marino as soon as possible.
What Causes Resident-on-Resident Assaults?
Before looking at how a nursing home and its staff must play a role in preventing these incidents from occurring, it may be helpful to know why they happen in the first place. Although the causes of patient-on-patient violence will vary in each situation, there are a number of common contributing factors. Here are a few:
- A resident thinking their space is being invaded
- Patients with mental illness (Schizophrenia, depression, bipolar, etc.)
- Racial conflicts
- Certain medications
- Previous conflicts or disputes
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- A one-off argument that leads to violence
- Substance abuse
- The overall environment (too much noise, crowding, sudden noises, other resident’s behavior, and overstimulation)
There are many explanations for resident-on-resident violence occurring at such a high clip, many of which are related to cognitive difficulties, improper use of medication, and arguments.
How Should Nursing Homes Prevent Patient-on-Patient Violence?
No matter where the violence stems from, it’s important for the nursing home staff to do everything in their power to prevent an incident from occurring in the first place. While the preventative measures will vary from home to home, here are a few of the most common ways in which nursing homes can avoid this type of violence:
- Care plans: It’s important for patients to have a care plan intended to meet their individual needs, especially for those with dementia or who may be prone to anger or violence if it’s disrupted.
- Failure to act on warning signs: If a caretaker notices distress signals coming from a patient or other warning signs that an attack is imminent, it’s their obligation to act on that instinct.
- Inadequate training: Nursing homes have a responsibility to equip staff to manage or recognize resident-on-resident assault or abuse and control the situation when a resident is at risk of assaulting someone.
- Low staffing: One of the most significant issues regarding nursing home negligence and abuse is a lack of proper staffing. In this case, the staff is less able to monitor and protect vulnerable patients.
If you think the nursing home staff didn’t adequately protect your loved one from the violence of another resident, it’s crucial that you hold them accountable. After all, when you help a loved one choose a nursing home, you expect the environment to be safe for them. While compensation can’t undo the effects of the assault or abuse, a successful legal case can help you and your family on the road to recovery.
Contact the Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers and Dalli and Marino after a Patient-on-Patient Attack
If another patient assaulted your family member at a New York nursing home, it’s crucial that you not let it slide. The nursing home needs to be held accountable for its negligent actions and your family member needs to be appropriately compensated for medical bills or other losses stemming from the incident. For help doing just that, contact the nursing home abuse lawyers at Dalli and Marino today.
The legal team at Dalli & Marino has represented injured people in New York City since 1995. We’re dedicated to providing our clients with the highest level of personal service and legal representation to obtain the compensation they deserve. Our compassionate team of highly skilled trial lawyers approach each case on an individual basis and are dedicated to helping your family member recover the money they deserve. Call us at (888) 465-8790 or complete our contact form today.
