In recent years, nursing home facilities have been the focus of intense public and political scrutiny. It’s estimated that 5 million elderly Americans are the victims of elder abuse each year. According to Adam McCann, a financial writer for WalletHub, the most common targets of nursing home misconduct of older women and people with disabilities to rely on other for care. Unfortunately, 95% of these cases go unreported, putting vulnerable residents in a very dangerous position.Putting the Microscope on South Carolina
In 2018, WalletHub completed an investigation to determine which states provided the best protections against elder abuse. As McCann explains in his article, “States with the Best Elder-Abuse Protections,” “WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 14 key indicators of elder-abuse protection in 3 overall categories.” Each state was scored based on a 100-point scale. The states with the most point offered the “best protection against elder abuse.”
The 3 categories were evaluated based on the following metrics:
- Prevalence (40 points)
- Elder-Abuse Complaints
- Gross-Neglect Complaints
- Exploitation Complaints
- Resources (30 points)
- Total Expenditures on Elder-Abuse Prevention per Resident Aged 65 & Older
- Total Expenditures on Legal-Assistance Development per Resident Aged 65 & Older
- Total Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Funding per Resident Aged 65 & Older
- Protection (30 points)
- Financial Elderly-Abuse Laws
- Eldercare Organizations & Services per Resident Aged 65 & Older
- Presence of Elder-Abuse Forensic Centers
- Presence of Elder Abuse Working Groups
- Certified Volunteer Ombudsmen per Resident Aged 65 & Older
- Frequency of Assisted-Living Facilities Inspections
- Quality of Nursing Homes
- Presence of Laws Allowing Surveillance Cams in Nursing Homes
- Presence of Elder Justice Task Forces
- Presence of Elder-Abuse Shelters
The results of this investigation ranked South Carolina as the absolute worst state in the country – number 51 out of 51 – when it comes to “highest elder-abuse, gross-neglect and exploitation complaints” and “lowest total expenditures on elder-abuse prevention.”
Injured or Exploited by Nursing Home Staffers? Retain Experienced Legal Representation.
Thousands of South Carolina families rely on nursing homes to provide their loved ones with round-the-clock care services and medical assistance. Unfortunately, many of these facilities are guilty gross negligence as well as physical, financial, sexual, and psychological elder abuse. If you or your loved one requires legal representation, contact the Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer at Christian & Christian. Our experienced legal team can meticulously investigate your case, accurately identity instances of abuse and neglect, and represent your best interests through each phase of this legal process. With our help, you can recover essential compensation while holding the negligent facility responsible for their actions.
Contact Christian & Christian at (864) 408-8883 to schedule a consultation.