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 Nursing
Homes: Many Shortcomings Exist in Efforts to Protect Residents
from Abuse (GAO Report 02-448T)
The 1.5 million elderly and disabled individuals
residing in U.S. nursing homes are highly vulnerable because of
their physical and cognitive impairments. Residents typically
require extensive assistance in the basic activities of daily
living, such as dressing, feeding, and bathing, and many require
skilled nursing or rehabilitative care. Residents with dementia
may be irrational and combative. This combination of impairments
heightens the residents' vulnerability to abuse and impedes
efforts to substantiate allegations and build cases for
prosecutions. GAO found that oversight by federal and state
authorities has increased in recent years.
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