Our Brooklyn Lawyers Handle Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Claims
Sexual abuse in Brooklyn nursing homes is hard to understand. Many instances of sexual abuse are undetected, unreported, or ignored. The information we do have about nursing home sexual abuse is incomplete yet alarming.
From 2013-2017 more than 1,000 nursing homes in the US were cited for sexual abuse. More than 500 were cited for failing to investigate sexual abuse complaints or do background checks on employees. Statistics show that every day, three people in nursing homes are victims of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, the statistics don’t show how many of our nation’s nursing home residents are actually experiencing sexual abuse.
Compared to other types of nursing home neglect and abuse, sexual abuse is the least common. But it is, perhaps, the most disturbing to the victims and their families. We trust nursing homes to protect our most vulnerable loved ones when they need more care than we can give. But, when that trust is broken, and our loved ones suffer, the results can be devastating.
At the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., our Brooklyn nursing home lawyers are committed to holding the nursing home responsible when your loved one experiences sexual abuse while under their care and supervision. Has your loved one been sexually assaulted in one of these
Brooklyn nursing homes?
- Spring Creek Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center
- Shore View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
- Shore View Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
- Sheepshead Nursing and Rehab Center
- Sephardic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
- Seagate Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
- Sea Crest Health Care Center
- Schulman and Schachne Institute for Nursing & Rehab
- Saints Joachim & Anne Nursing and Rehab Center
- Rutland Nursing Home Co
- River Manor Care Center
- Phoenix Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
- Palm Gardens Care Center
- Oxford Nursing Home
- NY Congregational Nursing Center
- Norwegian Christian Home & Health Center
- New Carlton Rehab & Nursing Center
- Menorah Home and Hospital for Aged and Infirm
- Marcus Garvey Nursing Home
- Lutheran Christian Home & Health Center
- Linden Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
- King David Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
- Hopkins Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare
- Heritage Rehabilitation and Health Care Center
- Haym Solomon Home for the Aged
- Hamilton Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
- Four Seasons Nursing and Rehab
- Dr. Susan Smith Mckinney Nursing and Rehab Center
- Ditmas Park Care Center
- Crown Nursing and Rehab Center
- Crown Heights Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation
- Concord Nursing Home
- Cobble Hill Health Center
- Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation SNF
- Caton Park Nursing Home
- Cabs Nursing Home Company
- Bushwick Center for Rehab and Health Care
- Buena Vida Continuing Care
- Brooklyn United Methodist Church Home
- Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home
- Brooklyn Center for Rehab and Residential Health Care
- Boro Park Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing
- Bishop Henry B Hucles Episcopal Nursing Home
- Bensonhurst Center for Rehab and Healthcare
- Bedford Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
- Atrium Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing
- Atlantis Rehab and Residential HCF
If your loved one was sexually assaulted or abused by another resident, visitor, or staff member at one of the above facilities, call our Brooklyn nursing home sexual abuse lawyers today. We can help the victim pursue legal remedies and collect the maximum compensation allowed by law.
What Type of Sexual Abuse Occurs in Nursing Homes in Brooklyn?
What we know about sexual abuse in nursing homes is we don’t have a complete picture of how and the frequency with which it occurs. Why? Because many victims of sexual abuse in nursing homes have conditions that limit their ability or willingness to report it.
Memory impairment, cognitive disability, confusion, and trouble communicating can make it difficult if not impossible to report or discuss the abuse. Fear of being shamed, neglected, further abused, or punished can also be reasons victims of sexual abuse in Brooklyn nursing homes do not speak up.
Sexual abuse in nursing homes is like all other sexual abuse: the imposition of unwanted sexual contact or inappropriate sexual content. This includes using coercion or manipulation to “trick” someone into unwanted sexual contact. Unfortunately, many nursing home residents do not have the capacity to provide true consent.
Sexual abuse and assault in nursing homes can include:
- Unwanted fondling
- Persuading or coercing a victim perform sexual acts
- Forced sexual contact
- Rape
- Removing the victims clothing
- Exposing the victim to unwanted pornography or nudity
- Masturbating in front of the victim
Really, any act where a nursing home resident cannot consent or is forced or coerced to participate in or witness sexual activity can be sexual abuse.
How Does Sexual Abuse Happen in Nursing Homes?
Anytime someone is beholden to another for their daily necessities, there is an opportunity for abuse and exploitation. Many nursing home residents are there for exactly this reason; they need someone to take care of them. This can include helping them move, bathe, dress, eat, socialize, and take medication.
An abusive caregiver can find many ways to take advantage of their power and cause serious harm to their victim, especially when the victim has difficulty communicating or is otherwise compromised.
Nursing home residents spend a lot of time alone with their caregivers, leading to many potentially dangerous situations.
Caregivers are not the only people in nursing homes who can commit sexual assault and sexual abuse. Other residents can also cause serious harm if they are not supervised properly. Visitors, vendors, and contract workers can also sexually abuse nursing home residents.
How Do You Know if Your Loved One is Being Sexually Abused in a Brooklyn Nursing Home?
Like many types of neglect and abuse, it is often left to visitors and family members to realize that their loved one is being sexually abused in a nursing home in Brooklyn. For all of the reasons mentioned above (memory impairment, fear, shame, trouble communicating…), family members must be on the lookout for signs of sex abuse. Asking directly is an option but won’t always get to the truth of the matter. Consider the following signs that your loved one might be the victim of sexual abuse in a nursing home:
- Fear, anxiety, silence, or withdrawal (when a caregiver is near or in general)
- Depression
- Bruising in the genital, thigh, or breast area
- Difficulty sitting or standing that was not present before
- Bleeding, pain, irritation in the genital area
- Blood or tearing on undergarments or linens
- Signs of an STD
- Isolation or withdrawal from social activities
- Signs of PTSD
- Panic attacks
- Unusual, inappropriate, or aggressive sexual behavior
- Evidence of a “romantic” relationship with a staff member
If you notice any of these behaviors, they might indicate a problem. Speak to someone if you suspect your loved one is the victim of sexual abuse in a nursing home. Call the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., to put a stop to the abuse and hold the nursing home accountable.
When Can A Nursing Home Be Liable For Sexual Abuse?
There are several situations in which a nursing home can be liable for the sexual abuse of one of its residents. Nursing homes have various standards and duties they must follow and exercise when caring for patients. They are required to protect the safety of your loved one.
When they don’t and injuries result, the nursing home can be legally responsible for paying damages for the harm.
Nursing home liability for sexual abuse usually involves situations similar to the following:
- An employee sexually assaults a resident in a nursing home in Park Slope. The nursing home failed to check to see if the employee had a history of sexual misconduct or a record of sexual assault.
- A caregiver sexually abuses a resident every day for months. The resident complains to management that she is being abused. The nursing home ignores her complaints, does not investigate, and the abuse continues.
- A caregiver sexually abuses a resident in her care. Another staff member suspects the abuse but does not know what to do, so she does nothing. She was never trained on how to spot or report suspected abuse.
- A staff member in a Williamsburg nursing home sexually abuses a resident. There’s just not enough staff to provide adequate employee supervision, which is how the staff member was able to commit the acts.
These fall into the categories of negligent hiring and negligent supervision, which are very often the basis of nursing home abuse and neglect cases, including those for sexual assault.
Holding the nursing home accountable in these situations can ensure the future safety of nursing home residents.
Call Our Brooklyn Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Lawyers Today
The Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., has everything you need to file a successful sexual abuse claim against a nursing home in Brooklyn. We have the experience, skill, and resources to stand up to corporate nursing homes and ensure that your loved one’s legal rights are protected. We want you to collect the damages you deserve when nursing homes fail to protect the safety of their residents.
Call us today at (800) 560-0214 to set up a free case evaluation. Our lawyers handle cases that involve sexual abuse in all Brooklyn nursing homes.
