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When people hear about nursing home abuse it is common to think of the abuse as being physical. In addition to physical abuse, elders also suffer emotional abuse and sexual abuse. Any type of non-consensual sexual contact with an older person is considered elder sexual abuse. Perpetrators of sexual abuse often search for vulnerable victims and elders can often be classified as more vulnerable because of any physical and cognitive impairment present.
In a nursing home, the elders are often in the facility because they are dependent upon others for assistance with daily activities. The dependency puts the nursing home residents at an increased vulnerability and at risk for abuse. Older abuse victims are less likely to report abuse because of the dependency on others, the use of threats about nursing home placement to keep victims silent or the feelings of shame and guilt that the abuse victim might feel.
Since sexual nursing home abuse is not very well researched, recognized or acknowledged, it is important to be able to identify and treat abuse if it is present. There are some signs of sexual nursing home abuse that can be identified, including bruising on inner thighs, STDs, difficulty walking or standing, genital or anal bleeding, pain in the genital area, as well as emotional signs and other symptoms.