Study Finds Altercations Between Nursing Home Residents a Growing Concern

The term ‘elder abuse’ typically brings to mind victimization by family members or neglect on the part of nursing home staff. However, a new study from Weill Cornell Medical College finds that hostile and aggressive behavior between nursing home residents is a growing problem throughout the U.S. that tends to go under reported. Nearly one in five nursing home residents involved in the study reported experiencing some form of elder-to-elder mistreatment ranging from invasion of privacy to verbal and physical abuse to inappropriate sexual behavior. We’ll talk with the study’s lead author for a closer look at the findings and recommendations on how nursing homes can better identify and address the problem.