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Nursing Home Residents Dying from Neglect

October 15, 2002

A St. Louis Dispatch report finds neglect is leading to deaths in nursing homes more frequently than thought. The paper reported that death by neglect is rarely detected by government officials, reviewed by coroners, or investigated by law enforcement. The report stated that most instances of neglect were traced to inadequate care that resulted in deaths. Examples of such neglect include malnutrition, dehydration, and infection from pressure sores (commonly called bed sores). The underlying cause for this neglect is inadequate staffing in the homes due to lack of people and bottom lines.

The American Health Care Association, a lobbyist organization for nursing homes, disagrees with the findings.

In a national report of over 500,000 nursing homes deaths in 1999, starvation, dehydration, or bedsores was listed as the cause of death in 4,138 instances.

Source: Report: Nursing Homes Kill Hundreds. Associated Press. 15 October 2002.