Tips to prevent sexual abuse injuries

The following signs may indicate that your loved one is the victim of sexual abuse in a nursing home:

• Unexplained difficulty with walking or sitting
• Bruising and/or thumbprints on the inner thighs, genital area, buttocks, and/or breasts
• Unexplained vaginal and/or anal bleeding
• Unexplained sexually transmitted disease or genital infection
• Unexplained genital irritation, injury, and/or redness
• Presence of sperm in the vagina or anus
• Torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
• Stained or bloody sheets
• Rope burns on wrists or ankles
• Fear, stress, anxiety, or a combative reaction when a particular staff member approaches to help the resident with bathing, dressing, or toileting

If your loved one exhibits any of the above signs, you should

• Calmly but firmly express your concerns to your loved on. If your loved one tells you that he or she was the victim of sexual abuse, immediately report the incident to the police and get emergency medical help. Oftentimes, however, elderly people are afraid or embarrassed to admit that they were the victim of sexual abuse; and others may be too physically or mentally impaired to communicate the incident. In these situations, if you believe the warning signs are severe enough, call police and get your loved one to the emergency room of a hospital as soon as possible.

• If your suspicions don't warrant immediate police intervention or emergency medical treatment, report the incident to the nursing home administrator and discuss your observations with your loved one's doctor. Then monitor the situation. If the warning signs persist, you should contact authorities. Pennsylvania residents can click here for Contact Information.

Sexual Abuse Resources:

• Overview

Other Nursing Home Abuses:

• Bedsores
• Dehydration
• Elopement
• Falls
• Malnutrition
• Mental Abuse
• Physical Abuse
• Restraints
• Sexual Abuse
• Wandering
• Wrongful Death

Search