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Resident violence a problem in nursing homes

LTC Liability Monitor, February 5, 2004

Nursing homes have measures in place to prevent staff-to-resident abuse, but what about resident-on-resident violence? According to a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 1,000 Massachusetts nursing home residents are attacked by other residents each year, the Boston Globe reported.

In response to the data, state public health officials ordered nursing homes to bolster the protection of vulnerable residents. State officials plan to work with facilities and advocates to develop solutions. The study—one of the first to examine resident-on-resident violence—found that victims were more likely to be men with declining cognitive abilities and a tendency to wander.

Researchers suggested that facilities post warning signs by the rooms of potentially violent residents, and recommended music therapy and other programs to calm aggression, the Globe reported.

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