Nursing home abuse has become commonplace in every state in the nation, including Minnesota. In 2016, the Minnesota Department of Health received 25,226 complaints of elder abuse in nursing homes throughout the state. The complaints included physical abuse, serious injuries and neglect. More than 4,000 of these incidents involved altercations between residents, while more than 2,000 involved physical abuse by staff members. Of these, only 3 percent were investigated. This means that an overwhelming majority were ignored by the state.

On the occasions that the Minnesota Department of Health did investigate the cases, key steps were not taken. In many cases, the victim was not interviewed and police were not called.

The abuse is horrific. Residents are being punched, choked, fondled, smothered with pillows and forcibly restrained. This is horrible news for the 85,000 Minnesotans who live in state-licensed homes for seniors

Many people are forgoing traditional nursing homes and placing their loved ones in assisted-living centers. This is causing abuse to become more commonplace. The residents in assisted-living facilities are generally sicker and older. They tend to have more mental problems as well, which makes them more vulnerable to criminal abuse. On top of that, these facilities do not have as many restrictions, which means that they can understaff the facility and get away with abuse.

When nursing home abuse or neglect does occur, family members are kept in the dark. They are not made aware of abuse until their loved one is seriously injured or dies from abuse or neglect.