How Often Are Nursing Home Residents Abused by Other Residents?

When most people think about nursing home abuse, they imagine a staff member mistreating or neglecting a resident. But there is another form of harm that does not get much attention, and that’s resident-on-resident violence.

Residents themselves sometimes lash out at each other. So, how often do nursing home residents abuse other residents? Here is what you need to know to keep your loved one safe.

What Does Research Show?

A 2016 landmark study from Cornell University looked closely at resident-to-resident mistreatment across 10 nursing homes. Over just four weeks, about 20% of residents, which is one in five, had experienced some form of aggression from another resident. Here is what we know from these incidents:

• Verbal abuse was the most common, and it affected around 16% of residents in that month.
• Physical aggression happened to about 5%.
• Sexual abuse, while rare, did occur and affected less than 1%.
• Other forms of mistreatment, like invading someone’s personal space or going through their belongings, also occurred.

What does this mean? If you walked into any nursing home and spent a month observing, you may see some residents dealing with aggression from their peers.

Why Does This Happen?

So, why would older adults in a care setting attack one another? There is no easy answer. However, cognitive decline plays a huge role. Dementia and Alzheimer’s can lead to confusion, paranoia, or frustration. Many times, that turns aggressive.

Mobility and activity levels matter, too. Residents who are more mobile encounter more people.

Unfortunately, that increases the chance of conflict. Environmental factors may also be at play. Crowded hallways, shared rooms, or low staff-to-resident ratios create stress and reduce oversight. This can give aggression more opportunity to flare up.

In other words, these incidents are not always about unchecked anger. They are about illness, environment, and unmet needs.

The Human Cost

The effects of resident-to-resident abuse are more than bruises and cuts. Being yelled at or threatened in a safe home can lead to anxiety, depression, or withdrawal.  Some physical assaults cause serious harm, including fractures, dislocations, or head injuries that may require hospitalization.

Repeated aggression also erodes a resident’s sense of dignity and peace of mind, especially if they are vulnerable and cannot defend themselves.

Families are often shocked to discover that their loved one’s suffering didn’t come from staff neglect, but from another resident. Unfortunately, staff sometimes minimize these events as “residents not getting along.” And that can leave victims without proper protection.

Why Is It Hard to Track Abuse in Nursing Homes?

If about one in five residents experiences aggression in a single month, why is this issue not more widely reported? Part of the problem is underreporting. Some residents cannot communicate clearly due to health conditions. Many times, they may be too afraid or embarrassed to speak up.

Definitions of abuse can also vary widely. What one facility considers “wandering” into another resident’s room might be a frightening invasion of privacy. Additionally, attention tends to focus on staff-to-resident abuse. That can leave peer aggression in the shadows.

Because of these factors, the actual frequency of resident-to-resident abuse could be even higher than studies suggest.

What Families Can Do?

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, there are several ways to help reduce the risk of resident-to-resident aggression and spot problems early.

One way is to visit your loved one often. You may want to stop at different times of the day. That can give you a clearer picture of how your loved one is treated. For example, aggression may be more likely during meals or evenings when staffing is thinner.

You want to pay close attention to sudden changes in behavior. Always ask questions if your loved one seems more withdrawn, anxious, or fearful. Also, look for unexplained injuries, such as small bruises or scratches, which can be warning signs that something is wrong.

It’s important to communicate openly with staff, asking how they handle resident-to-resident aggression and what safeguards are in place.

And above all, trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.

Now Is the Time to Take Action

No family should have to wonder whether their loved one is safe in a nursing home. If you suspect that another resident has harmed your parent, spouse, or relative, it may be time to speak with a nursing home abuse lawyer.

An experienced attorney can review what happened, explain your options, and help you hold the facility accountable for keeping residents safe.

Your loved one deserves dignity, respect, and protection. If you’re ready to take the next step, we have plenty of resources available at My Nursing Home Abuse Guide.