Here are some current nursing home abuse statistics:
· One in three nursing homes across the country have been cited for nursing home abuse and other related infractions.
· Eleven percent of nursing homes have been cited for unnecessary dispensing of prescription drugs. This is up from two percent in 1992.
· One forth of the aides prosecuted for abusing patients have previous criminal records and five percent of nursing home aides across the nation have criminal records.
· There are over 42,000 nursing home beds in North Carolina and an estimated 37,000 nursing home residents in North Carolina.
· 32 percent of North Carolinians over 80 are nursing home residents.
· One to two million Americans over 65 have been abused, neglected, or mistreated by their primary caregiver.
· One in ten people over 65 will spend some of their lives in a adult care facility or nursing home.
· An estimated 50 percent of nursing home patients suffer from untreated pain.
· CNN reports that just over 90 percent of nursing home facilities are understaffed. These staff shortages lead to increased instances of health problems, neglect, and abuse.