South Carolina Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Lawyers Demand Justice

Sexual abuse includes a range of improper conduct, including rape, sexual coercion, sexual assault, inappropriate touching, sodomy, sexual harassment, and other wrongs. When nursing homes are negligent in protecting their residents from abuse, they should be held accountable. Perpetrators of sexual abuse in assisted living facilities can include:

• Nursing home staff. Nursing home staff have regular access to most residents. They often help residents with bathing, dressing, and bathroom functions. These situations can lead to sexual abuse. Many nursing home residents could have been prevented if the nursing home had done a proper criminal background check on their staff. Nursing homes should also train their staff on improper conduct and in noticing the signs of sexual abuse.
• Another resident. Most nursing homes now have male and female residents. While this can be great for social interaction, co-ed nursing homes can create problems for weak and fragile residents. The nursing home staff should be trained to properly study their residents for signs of abuse and for signs of uncivil conduct, which may lead to sexual abuse.
• Strangers in the facility. Most facilities have nothing more than a sign-in sheet for visitors who want to enter the nursing home. Even in secure facilities, there are often ways for a stranger to enter the facility through an open door. Strangers can be those who visit the facility to see another resident or strangers who do not have a legitimate reason to be in the building.
• A family member. Sadly, there is often no one checking on relatives who enter the facility to visit a resident. Social interaction may become sexual abuse. Nursing homes can be held responsible if they do not monitor the situation. This is especially true for repeat sexual misconduct.