Although many nursing home facilities in the US provide safe and diligent care to nursing home residents, there are incidents of abuse and neglect reported every day. Nursing home abuse includes physical abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation or personal property abuse. Advocates for nursing home residents have observed that poor care leads to abuse and neglect which then leads to injury, harm and possibly death for nursing home residents. However, identifying the risks and the probability of harm to a resident is the first step in taking preventive measures. There are a range of risk factors which, alone or combined, can put residents in jeopardy. Statistics have shown that the chance of abuse or neglect is more likely in a facility with a higher percentage of residents with dementia and a low staff ratio. For residents with dementia, a high degree of dependence and behavioral issues make them more vulnerable to abuse. Fore more....