Nursing Home Sexual Abuse

There are many myths about sexual assault and abuse, and one of the most persuasive ones is that it affects a certain type of person. Some people think that young women are the only ones to be affected by sexual violence, but that is not the case. About one in six men are harmed by sexual abuse or harm. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, sexual violence directed at the elderly is under-reported and under-researched, but in the past year an average of 0.9% of elderly people and 2.2% of elderly women have experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence.

Often, sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone that the victim knows. In care settings, such as nursing homes, elderly residents can be especially vulnerable. Sexual abuse in nursing homes can involve assaults by staff members, other residents, or outside visitors. Many residents cannot defend themselves, may have cognitive impairments, or rely entirely on staff for daily care. When facilities fail to hire qualified workers, supervise their employees, conduct background checks, monitor residents, offer strong security, or respond to complaints, the results can be dangerous and even fatal.

If you believe your loved one experienced sexual abuse in a nursing home, schedule a free consultation. Our firm, The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, will help you understand your legal rights and how to move forward with a civil claim, so you can make an informed decision about your next steps.

Common Forms of Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes

Sexual abuse in long-term care settings can take many forms. The abuse may include forced sexual contact, non-consensual touching, coerced acts, exposure, harassment, or any action that exploits a resident. The abuse may be committed by:

• Employees or aides who misuse their access to residents.
• Visitors who were not properly supervised.
• Other residents who should have been monitored or separated due to known behavioral risks.

A nursing home may also be liable when it fails to take action after complaints, or when it hires individuals with concerning histories, including prior allegations or findings of misconduct.

Warning Signs Families Should Watch For

Many victims cannot communicate what happened, particularly residents with dementia or those who rely on staff for all daily tasks. Many victims also feel shame or fear after abuse, which makes them reluctant to report harm. Families are often the ones who notice concerning behavioral or physical changes, including:

• Sudden fear or anxiety around particular staff members.
• Regression in behavior or withdrawal from social activities.
• Unexplained injuries, especially around sensitive areas.
• Torn or missing undergarments.
• Depression or panic during bathing or toileting.
• Bruising or bleeding.
• Sexually transmitted infections without explanation.

These signs do not automatically prove abuse occurred, but they should be taken seriously.

How Nursing Home Negligence Leads to Sexual Abuse

Many sexual abuse cases arise from systemic failures within the facility, including:

Inadequate staffing: Chronic understaffing leaves residents unsupervised, sometimes for long stretches of time. Staff may skip rounds, ignore alarms, or leave vulnerable residents alone.

Poor hiring practices: Nursing homes are responsible for conducting background checks and screening for red flags. Facilities that cut corners can put dangerous individuals in direct contact with residents.

Lack of supervision: Even well-intentioned staff members cannot supervise residents properly if management refuses to schedule adequate personnel or implement necessary safety protocols.

Failure to monitor known risks: When a resident has a history of aggression or sexualized behavior, the nursing home must implement safeguards. When it fails to take appropriate precautions, the facility may be liable.

Ignoring prior complaints: Some abuse occurs after families or staff members raised concerns that were not addressed. When facilities fail to act, they expose residents to serious harm.

How We Approach Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Cases

Every case begins with listening. When families call our office, they speak with a firm that values transparency, compassion, and responsiveness. Mark A. Siesel has spent almost 40 years handling complex personal injury matters, including cases involving traumatic brain injuries, premises liability, and other serious harms. That experience helps us understand patterns in nursing home negligence.

We collect all relevant records, including medical charts, medication logs, staffing assignments, security footage, witness statements, and any prior complaints.

Sexual abuse cases can involve multiple forms of negligence—including negligent hiring, negligent supervision, and negligent retention. We evaluate whether administrators ignored warnings, whether staffing levels violated regulations, and whether the nursing home followed its own protocols.

Tragically, some sexual abuse incidents lead to fatal injuries or complications. Older residents may suffer significant physical trauma or infections after an assault. In the most serious cases, families may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim.

These claims must be supported by evidence, including medical findings, facility records, staffing logs, and incident reports. At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we work with investigators and qualified experts to determine what happened and why it occurred.

When we work with clients, our goal is to help clients get their loved one to a safe care facility. Sexual abuse can go on and may eventually involve physical abuse and emotional abuse that puts the nursing home residents at risk. Many families come to us because nursing homes refuse to act to protect residents or even deny that abuse has taken place. Our goal is to help families seek justice and to help get family members into safe care.

Why File a Claim?

Filing a sexual abuse claim against a nursing home can be especially challenging. Victims may be unwilling or unable to testify about the abuse because of fear or cognitive issues. Finding evidence of wrongdoing can be challenging, and even finding the perpetrator can be difficult because nursing homes may have many visitors, residents, and staff. Families may worry about the painful details and the trauma that can arise for senior family members during a claim.

Nevertheless, there are many important reasons why filing a claim can be important. It can provide a sense of justice and closure that allows victims to move forward and it can protect other, vulnerable residents at the same care facility from perpetrators. Often, after a legal claim, nursing homes make important safety changes that can protect future residents, too.

Crucially, filing a claim allows victims and families to seek compensation. The compensation available in a nursing home sexual abuse lawsuit depends on the specific circumstances, but seeking fair compensation for pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses, and other costs is essential. It allows the victim to seek medical care and therapy so they can begin to heal and it helps families secure the resources they need to provide quality care for a loved one. Resources from a civil claim give victims and families some breathing room by allowing them to make good decisions about the future of care.

Criminal Charges May Relate to Your Civil Claim

Sexual abuse in a nursing home can lead to criminal charges against the perpetrator, but the criminal case is separate from your civil claim. Whether or not prosecutors pursue charges, you may still file a civil lawsuit to hold the facility accountable for its negligence. You may be able to file a claim against the nursing home, even if the perpetrator is not identified.

If an abuser is caught and charged, it can strengthen your civil claim, but the cases proceed separately. Even if the perpetrator is charged and sentenced, only a civil claim helps you and your family secure the financial resources you need to protect a vulnerable family member.

Why Experience and Responsiveness Matter

What sets The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel apart is almost 40 years of experience and the way clients are treated. Why does this matter? Responsiveness is crucial because evidence in these cases can disappear fast as nursing homes try to protect themselves. We reply to your calls and emails quickly and we step in fast to protect evidence that can make all the difference in your case.

Experience and responsiveness also matter in nursing home sexual abuse claims because emotions run high in these cases. You may want a quick resolution so you can move on, but you may be feeling overwhelm and grief. Our legal team respects this experience by responding promptly to your emails and calls and helping you work through your next steps, so you can make smart decisions, even in the face of trauma and exhaustion. Responsiveness means we’re there for you when you need us.

These cases also often need experts, including geriatric psychiatrists, long‑term care nurses, institutional safety experts, trauma specialists, and other specialists. We already have those relationships and know how to connect with the right professionals.

Our decades of experience also ensure we take on these cases with trauma‑informed approaches. We limit unnecessary retelling of events to protect victims from further trauma and we prepare you for defense tactics so you’re not caught off guard. We also know that nursing home sexual abuse cases can split families. Some relatives want to avoid “making a scene,” while others push hard for a public lawsuit. We anticipate that conflict and help you withstand pressure from the facility and even from within the family, supporting you so you can make the right choices for your family.

Insurers track which lawyers actually go to trial and which always settle. We have a proven track record that offers quiet leverage. Insurers can see from our track record that we are willing to take cases all the way to trial, if that is the best way to proceed.

If your loved one has suffered sexual abuse in a nursing home, contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel to schedule a free consultation.