How Common is Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect?

WalletHub’s 2025 report on elder abuse by state has Massachusetts ranked second for the strength of its efforts to prevent elder abuse. On a per-elderly-resident basis, the state spends more on elder abuse prevention than any other state. Those efforts seem to be paying off: Massachusetts has a significantly lower-than-average rate of elder abuse reports. 

Still, elder abuse is increasingly common, and occurs in both community settings and in facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. In the community, most abuse and neglect occurs at the hands of family members and caretakers. In a nursing home, the perpetrator may be either a staff member or another resident. That abuse may take many different forms, including: 

• Staff pushing or striking residents
• Verbal or psychological abuse by staff members
• Sexual abuse by either staff members or residents
• Unwarranted and/or too-tight restraints
• Neglect of serious medical conditions
• Inadequate fall protection
• Failure to administer medication
• Administration of the wrong drug or dosage

Whether the issue is abuse or neglect, the consequences can be serious. Some possible signs that your loved one in nursing home or other facility is being treated badly include: 

• The resident becoming anxious and/or withdrawn
• Injuries
• Depression
• Recurring or unexplained bruises, red marks or scratches 
• Worsening medical conditions
• Cognitive decline
• STDs and other infections

It’s important to note that psychological abuse such as name calling, demeaning, shouting at or shunning residents can have a serious impact on an elderly person’s mental health, which in turn can jeopardize their physical health. 

Neglect can also be just as dangerous as abuse. For instance: 

• Lack of proper supervision can expose a resident to abuse by another resident
• Bedsores (pressure sores) can lead to amputation or even death if not treated promptly and appropriately
• Missed medications can worsen medical conditions and may even be life-threatening
• Improper assistance or precautions can lead to falls and other injuries

If you have any concerns at all about whether your loved one may be the victim of abuse or neglect, you can’t afford to ignore those concerns. Depending on the circumstances, you may want to talk with the resident to try to draw out information, visit more frequently to monitor their mental and physical condition, observe how your loved one reacts to different residents and staff members, or take your family member to an outside medical provider for assessment. 

If you believe abuse or neglect is happening–whether to your family member or another resident–you can call the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at (800) 462-5540.

How Widespread is Nursing Home Abuse?

Most people who choose nursing home care for their loved ones do so to make sure the elderly or disabled relative receives a level of care that would be difficult to provide at home. We’d all like to believe that high-profile cases of abuse and neglect like those revealed through the state investigation  are isolated incidents, horrible but rare.

Unfortunately, the data that is available doesn’t bear that out—and that includes information provided by nursing home staff.

In 2024, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs in Massachusetts assessed more than 55,000 allegations of elder abuse or neglect. 

The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) aggregated data to report that:

• More than 50% of nursing home staff members surveyed confessed to having mistreated patients within the previous year
• More than half of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) admitted to having shouted at a resident, and nearly one-quarter said they’d sworn at or insulted someone in their care
• 17% of CNAs revealed that they had pushed, shoved, or grabbed a resident

Data shared by the NCEA also showed that more than 40% of nursing home residents interviewed in one study said they had themselves been abused, and 95% said they had been neglected or personally observed another resident being neglected.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Warning Signs

Carefully assessing nursing home options in advance is an important step toward protecting your loved ones who require long-term care. Your research should include both ratings, reports and other publicly available information and a personal assessment of the facility.

When you visit a nursing home, speak with as many staff members as possible, but don’t rely entirely on staff representations. Pay attention to warning signs like:

• Unsanitary conditions
• Unanswered resident call lights
• How residents respond to and interact with staff
• Activities underway
• The quality of food served

However, selecting the facility is only the beginning. It’s important to remain alert for signs of abuse or neglect. While many family members are hesitant to make waves by asking tough questions about changes in a resident’s behavior, unexplained marks, and other possible problems, turning a blind eye can be dangerous. If you suspect that your loved one has fallen victim to nursing home abuse or is suffering from neglect, you owe it to your vulnerable family member to take action.

If you or a loved one has been injured, neglected or abused in a nursing home or rehab center, just call The Broderick Law Firm, LLC at 978-459-3085 or fill out this contact form to schedule a free consultation.