Nursing Home Abuse Statistics

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Statistics

Over 1 million people live in more than 15,000 nursing homes across the country. These facilities are trusted to keep residents safe and well-cared for. Yet in far too many cases, nursing home residents experience abuse, neglect, and mistreatment.

Key Elder & Nursing Home Abuse Statistics for 2025

• 1 in 10 adults over 60 suffer elder abuse, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
• 2 in 3 nursing home staff members admitted to abusing or mistreating residents, the World Health Organization (WHO) found.
• Only about 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse are reported, meaning even more people could be affected than what is reported in current studies.

The number of older adults in the U.S. is expected to climb, reaching nearly 84 million by 2050. As time goes on, nursing home abuse could affect more and more seniors.

At Sokolove Law, our nursing home lawyers have helped those impacted by nursing home abuse and neglect get justice for over 45 years. If you or someone you love has suffered, reach out to see if we can assist you.

Abuse in Nursing Homes Statistics

Nursing home abuse is any type of harm suffered by those living in long-term care facilities. It takes many forms and can lead to long-term health complications and even death.

Nursing home abuse includes physical injury, sexual assault, neglect, emotional mistreatment, and financial exploitation.

Statistics for Elderly Abuse in Nursing Homes

• In a study of over 2,000 nursing home residents, 44% said they had suffered abuse.
• Emotional abuse is the most common type, according to the WHO. Roughly 1 in 3 residents or their loved ones reported cases of emotional abuse in a nursing home setting.
• 1 out of every 3 nursing homes each year is cited for causing serious nursing home injuries, as noted by the Journal of Gerontology & Geriatric Research.
• Older adults who were abused have a 300% higher risk of dying, according to the National Council on Aging.

Older adults deserve the best care possible from nursing homes and long-term facilities, but rates of abuse and neglect remain high across the country.

Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes

Physical nursing home abuse includes punching, shoving, kicking, or causing any other type of bodily harm. Aggressive staff or other residents are common perpetrators of physical abuse.

The effects of physical nursing home abuse can be severe. Many nursing home residents are already frail, meaning they may take longer to recover from broken bones or bruises. Some may not ever make a full recovery or could pass away.

Here are notable physical nursing home abuse figures: 

• Over 14% of nursing home residents or their family members reported cases of physical abuse, according to the WHO.
• 17% of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) admitted to physically assaulting residents in a recent study.
• Roughly 1 in 3 cases of abuse didn’t lead to federal penalties such as fines, as noted by American Public Media.

If your loved one has any strange, sudden, or unexplained injuries, it could be a sign of physical nursing home abuse, and you may qualify for compensation.

Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes Statistics

In a nursing home, sexual abuse includes any type of unwanted sexual contact. It can range from sexually charged comments to assault or rape.

Here’s what to know about sexual abuse in nursing homes:

• More than 1,000 nursing homes received citations over a 3-year period for mishandling or failing to report sexual abuse claims, according to CNN.
• Most cases of elder sexual abuse don’t get reported, with only 30% of victims over the age of 65 coming forward.
• Fear of retaliation, impairments like dementia, and other factors may prevent residents from reporting sexual mistreatment.
• Over 70% of elder sexual abuse cases occur in nursing homes, according to Minnesota’s Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care.

Nursing home sexual abuse is incredibly traumatic for residents and their loved ones. Approximately half of victims of sexual abuse in long-term care facilities die within 1 year of the assault, according to The Gerontologist.

Nursing Home Neglect Statistics

Nursing home neglect includes any lack of care that harms residents. Neglect in nursing homes can include failing to wash residents, leaving them alone for long periods of time, or not giving them food, water, and medications.

Essential nursing home neglect statistics include: 

• In a recent study, 95% of residents said they’d been neglected or noticed other residents suffer neglect.
• Nearly 17% of nursing home residents were chronically dehydrated, according to a Nutrients study.
• An average of 20% of nursing home residents experienced malnutrition, according to Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care.
• Malnutrition rates reached over 66% in the worst facilities.
• Between 20,000 and 40,000 nursing home residents with cognitive issues like dementia elope, or leave without permission, each year, according to McKnight’s Senior Living. Without staff to prevent this, these residents could be injured.

Nursing home neglect is just as dangerous as other forms of abuse — and can even be fatal. At Sokolove Law, our attorneys handled a case involving a Massachusetts man who died in a fire caused by neglect, securing $1.75 Million for his family.

Pressure Ulcer & Bedsore Statistics

Nursing home residents who have mobility issues are at a higher risk for bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers. Bedsores are open wounds that develop from lying in one position for too long.

If a resident you love is suffering from new, untreated, or worsening bedsores, it could be a sign of nursing home neglect.

Here are important nursing home bedsore statistics: 

• More than 1 in 10 nursing home residents develop bedsores, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• There are four stages of bedsores. Stage 4 sores are the most severe, with bone visible.
• Nurses with training on preventing bedsores can more effectively help residents, according to The Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research — but facilities don’t always provide this crucial training.
• Patients with bedsores have double the risk of mortality compared to those without in the 3-year period that follows, according to The International Wound Journal.

Staff members should be trained to check on and reposition nursing home residents to prevent bedsores. They should also promptly treat new bedsores that develop. Serious bedsores may require long-term expert care to prevent dangerous complications.

If you or a loved one developed bedsores while in a nursing home, compensation may be available. Our attorneys recovered $1.5 Million for a woman in Minnesota who developed stage 4 bedsores due to nursing home neglect.

Statistics on Nursing Home Abuse Causes

Many factors can lead to nursing home abuse, including understaffing, a lack of staff training, and burnout. Around 99% of nursing homes have jobs they need to fill, with 89% needing to hire registered nurses, according to the American Health Care Association (AHCA).

Key figures on the causes of nursing home abuse include: 

• For-profit operation: Nursing homes can operate either for profit or not-for-profit. Sometimes, for-profit facilities and nursing home corporations cut corners to prioritize making money. For-profit facilities had consistently higher rates of abuse, according to American Public Media.
• Lack of staff training: Nursing homes may not provide the right training, leaving staff ill-prepared to handle residents. Inadequate training was the most commonly cited issue preventing staff from caring for residents with dementia, according to Clinical Interventions in Aging.
• Understaffing: With fewer staff, residents may not get the care they need. Up to 9 out of 10 nursing homes lack enough staff to provide proper care. In 2024, 72% of nursing homes had lower staffing levels than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, as noted by the AHCA.

There is never an acceptable excuse for nursing home abuse or neglect. If you or someone you love was harmed in a long-term care facility, you deserve justice.

At Sokolove Law, we’ve recovered over $314 Million in nursing home settlements and verdicts for victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Who Commits Abuse in Nursing Homes?

Nursing home staff, as well as fellow residents, may commit abuse or neglect a patient’s needs. In fact, 2 out of 3 staff members admitted to abusing or neglecting nursing home residents within the last year.

Here are key statistics on who commits elder abuse: 

• Staff: Nearly 230 providers in nursing homes receiving Medicaid funding were convicted of crimes related to abuse or neglect of residents in 2023 alone. Over 130 of those convicted were nurses or aids. Staff members were more likely to commit neglect and emotional abuse, as noted by BMC Geriatrics.
• Residents: Residents assaulting other residents accounts for 22% of all cases of nursing home abuse, according to Cureus. Facilities may house residents with mental illnesses or violent histories that they may not be equipped to handle.
• Family: Outside of nursing home settings, family members were the most likely group of people to commit elder abuse, making up nearly 58% of cases according to the NCEA.

Nursing home staff members have a duty to care for residents and prevent aggressive interactions with other residents. Yet, in too many cases, staff fail to meet residents' needs or are directly responsible for hurting them.

Residents at Risk of Abuse

Anyone living in a nursing home could be at risk of abuse or neglect. That said, specific factors could increase the odds among certain residents.

Find out more about statistics on groups at a high risk of nursing home abuse:

• Alzheimer’s and dementia patients: These conditions put residents at a higher risk of sexual abuse. Around 6 in 10 victims of sexual abuse in nursing homes had dementia, Alzheimer’s, or another cognitive disorder.
• Female residents: Women are more likely to suffer abuse than men, according to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA). Roughly two out of three elder abuse victims are women.
• Residents with other mental health issues: Outside of age-related impairments, 1 in 5 nursing home residents have a serious mental health problem like schizophrenia. Facilities with these patients have higher rates of abuse and neglect, according to American Public Media.

“50% of people with illnesses like dementia are abused at some point during the course of their illness. It’s common. We know that it happens a lot at home. We believe that it happens a lot at nursing homes, and we have circumstantial evidence for that.”
– Dr. Laura Mosqueda, Family Medicine & Geriatrics Specialist

If possible, regularly visiting nursing home residents who belong to these at-risk groups and promptly reporting any signs of abuse or neglect can go a long way toward protecting them.

Elder Abuse Statistics 2024-2025

Outside of nursing homes, elder abuse remains a significant problem for older adults and their families. Between 1 million and 2 million people aged 65 or older have been abused or neglected in the U.S. alone.

Essential elderly abuse statistics include: 

• Worldwide, about 1 in 6 people aged 60 or older were abused within the last year, according to the WHO.
• Verbal harassment and financial exploitation were the most commonly reported forms of abuse, according to the NCEA.
• Oregon, Missouri, Washington, Maine, and Texas had the highest rates of elder abuse in the U.S. as of 2024, as noted by Newsweek.
• Rates of elder abuse in the U.S. remain high. New York reported 1 in 13 older adults suffering from some type of abuse, with financial exploitation being most common.
• Over 88,000 adults over the age of 60 experienced elder financial abuse through online scams in the U.S., according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Factors like support from friends and family and being involved in the local community reduce seniors’ risk of abuse and neglect, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Elder Physical Abuse Statistics

Physical elder abuse is just as damaging to seniors living independently as it is to those in nursing homes. Caretakers and loved ones could resort to pushing, kicking, or physically restraining seniors, leading to long-term injuries or even wrongful death.

Physical abuse of the elderly statistics include: 

• Nearly 3% of older adults or family members reported cases of physical elder abuse, as noted by the WHO. This is much lower than the rates of physical abuse in nursing homes.
• Physical elder abuse is the second-least common form of mistreatment, according to the NCEA.
• Physical abuse was most likely to be reported with another type of abuse, as noted by the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

While physical elder abuse rates are not as high as other types, always make sure to report any suspected injuries as quickly as you can. This can help protect an older adult you love.

Elder Sexual Abuse Statistics

Older adults never deserve to suffer sexual assault, and while it can be unthinkable, many cases are reported every year.

Key statistics on elder sexual abuse include: 

• Sexual abuse is the least reported type of elder abuse at less than 1%, according to the WHO. It was also the least common type of abuse noted by the NCEA.
• Most perpetrators of sexual elder abuse are men, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
• Roughly 3 in 4 cases of elder sexual abuse have at least one witness, as noted by Minnesota’s Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care.

Sexual activity and abuse among older adults is often forgotten when discussing the larger problem of sexual assault, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

As a result, it’s especially important to keep a close watch as your loved one ages. Bruising around the genitals, bloody sheets, and abrupt changes in an older person’s behavior could all be signs of nursing home abuse or sexual assault.

Elder Abuse Underreporting Statistics

While elder abuse is serious, the majority of instances go unreported. In fact, the DOJ found that just 1 in 24 elder abuse cases are reported.

Statistics about underreported elder abuse include: 

• 74% of physicians weren’t sure that elder abuse had occurred in their patients, according to a national survey.
• 58% of doctors didn’t think they could accurately diagnose elder abuse in the same survey.
• Nearly 90% of older adults who suffered financial abuse by someone they knew didn’t report it, according to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

Older adults may not report abuse or neglect out of fear of retaliation from the perpetrator. This means the harm could continue and worsen.

If you or someone you love is a victim of elder abuse or neglect, the first step is to report it to proper authorities, such as the local police or your state’s Adult Protective Services (APS) division.

Nursing Home Abuse Case & Settlement Statistics

At Sokolove Law, we have recovered over $314 Million for older adults and families impacted by nursing home abuse.

Most of the lawsuits we handle result in out-of-court settlements, allowing families to receive the compensation they deserve without the hassle of a trial.

Here’s what to know about nursing home abuse settlement results: 

• The average nursing home abuse settlement is worth around $400,000.
• Many settlements we’ve secured have paid out $1 Million or more.
• In one case, our firm recovered $18.2 Million for a Rhode Island woman who suffered a heart attack.
• Depending on where you live, you may only have as few as 1-3 years to take action after abuse.

Nursing home residents, as well as close family members and loved ones, may all qualify to pursue settlements and justice after abuse or neglect. However, time is limited to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit.

Don’t wait: Get a free case review now, so you don’t miss your chance to pursue a nursing home settlement.

Sokolove Law: Taking a Stand Against Nursing Home Abuse

Knowing that a loved one has suffered nursing home and elder abuse can be devastating. Nursing homes that violate the trust of care that they promise deserve to be held accountable.

As a national nursing home abuse law firm, Sokolove Law has over 45 years of experience fighting for residents harmed in long-term care facilities.

To date, we’ve secured more than $314 Million for families impacted by nursing home abuse nationwide.

Our dedicated and experienced elder abuse attorneys can listen to your story, determine your legal options, and fight for the justice you deserve.

Call (800) 995-1212 right now or get a free case review to see if we can help your family.

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