The Societal Issue of Patient Abuse and Neglect

Acts of patient abuse and neglect are committed in every aspect of society.  Gone are the days when acts of torture and humiliation were committed in dark, dungeon-like basements.  Today incidents of patient abuse and neglect are reported with alarming frequency and committed by people of varying backgrounds, levels of education, and cultures.  These reports have become so commonplace that one wonders if sensitivity to the topic of patient abuse and neglect has become just as trite.

When citizens and legislators neglect to advocate for the funding which ensures patient care and protection, are we guilty of patient abuse and neglect?   How blameworthy is the individual who turns a blind eye; the non-compliant agency or provider; and the congressman or congresswoman who are not advocates for patient care systems?

The Legalities of Abuse

The Federal Register defines abuse to include “any act or failure to act which was performed, or which was failed to be performed, knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally, and which caused, or may have caused, injury or death to an individual with developmental disabilities.” Harassing, assaulting and doping (beyond Federal laws and State regulations), or any act which may cause “immediate physical or psychological harm” to a patient is also prohibited.

Patient Population

Patients, depending on the facility in which they are housed and the severity of their ailment, range from in-patient or out-patient clients in short-term or long- term medical or residential facilities.  The people most often exposed to abuse and neglect include the elderly, children, the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled.  The indigent, homeless and patients within the prison population also suffer abuse and neglect.  Most of the members of these populations receive Medicare and Medicaid funding for services.

Abusive News – The Scope of The Issue

Various regions of the U.S. report incidents of patient abuse and neglect in the media. In Florida, a psychiatric therapist strikes and verbally abuses his minor male patient during a therapy session.  Imagine seeking psychiatric treatment for a child, only to see his therapist curse and strike him about the head and face.  Who was it that said “physician, heal thyself?”

In 2007, a North Carolina state hospital lost Medicaid and Medicare funding after a 50-year-old patient was left unattended and unfed for 22 hours.  Proceeding investigations later exposed staff priorities that cost the patient his life:  “playing cards, socializing and dancing”.