If you have a loved one who has been a victim of nursing home negligence, you can take action to ensure your loved one receives proper care.

At least 5 million Americans 60 years old and older are abused, exploited or neglected every year. Eighty-four percent of the cases are never reported to authorities.

Insufficient staffing plays a large part in nursing home negligence. A whopping 90 percent of nursing homes do not have enough staff to adequately care for the number of residents that reside there.

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, the number of elderly will continue to climb at a rapid rate. In 2012, 43.1 million people were 65 and older. By 2050, the number of U.S. residents age 65 and older will reach more than 83 million. The need for proper care facilities and qualified staff will nearly double.

Signs of Nursing Home Negligence

Nursing home negligence is not always easy to identify. If you notice any indications of possible abuse, report your observations to the authorities. Even a call to the local police or to 911 may be necessary if an elderly person appears to be in immediate danger. Attorneys who specialize in pursuing elder abuse perpetrators can help as well.

The following issues can be signs of nursing home negligence:

• Bed sores
• Bruises
• Broken bones
• Abrasions
• Burns
• Falls
• Poor hygiene
• Chronic infections
• Unexpected weight loss
• Lack of medical care

In some cases, residents have sat in their wheelchairs for hours after urinating themselves according to a special report by the Star Tribune. When asked why one man had been left to soak in his own urine for hours, staff replied they did not have enough employees to lift him and change him until hours later. When asked about using adult diapers, the staff responded they do not use adult diapers because they are not sanitary. When asked if it is more sanitary to sit in urine-soaked clothing with a puddle of urine on the floor under the wheelchair, the staff had no response.

In Minnesota, state lawmakers passed a bill in 2011 that made nursing home employees face prison time and other criminal penalties if found guilty of intentionally neglecting the elderly. Even so, no more than 70 people receive convictions annually.

Some cases of nursing home negligence end in the death of the elderly patient. An elderly woman with neurological damage was witnessed falling four times within 36 hours, but nurses never called the woman’s doctor. The Minnesota woman died after suffering brain injuries from the cumulative falls.

An elderly man died of blunt force injuries after he was discovered at the bottom of the stairs at a nursing home in Maple Grove, Minn.

These deaths probably would be investigated by the authorities if they had occurred on the premises of a private residence. Because the deaths occurred in a state-licensed nursing home, the reports go through the Health Department, who instructs nurses who have no law enforcement background to review them. While some of the suspicious cases do reach prosecutors, too few do.

One prosecutor has expressed that as a society, Americans do not view nursing home negligence as important as other forms of abuse, such as child abuse. While all children are vulnerable and should be protected, the same is true for our elderly population who are unable fend for themselves.