• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
(914) 220-1086

Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC

Just another WordPress site

  • Home
  • About
    • Attorney Profiles
      • Daniel F. Gallivan
      • Thomas L. Gallivan
      • James C. Freeman
      • Andrew J. Gilbride
    • Testimonials
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
      • Car Accident Lawyers
        • Lawsuits and Settlements
        • Distracted Driving Accidents
        • After a Car Accident
        • Passenger in a Car Accident
        • How To Get Compensation
        • Uninsured Motorist Accidents
      • 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Lawyers
      • Burn Injury Lawyers
      • Bus Accident Attorneys
      • Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
      • Slip & Fall Lawyers
      • Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
      • Traumatic Brain Injuries
      • Truck Accident Lawyers
        • Delivery Truck Accidents
      • Wrongful Death Lawyers
      • Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
      • Uber Accident Lawyers
    • Nursing Home Abuse
      • Bedsores and Pressure Ulcers
      • Brain Bleeds
      • Bruises and Cuts
      • Elopement
      • Falls & Broken Bones
      • Group Home Abuse
      • Infections
      • Malnutrition
      • Medication Errors
      • Physical Abuse
      • Wrongful Death
    • Medical Malpractice
      • Birth Injury
      • Emergency Room Negligence
      • Failure to Diagnose
        • Stroke and Heart Attack
        • Lymphoma
        • Leukemia
        • Cancer
        • Breast Cancer
        • Colon Cancer
        • Prostate Cancer
        • Kidney Cancer
      • Hemiparesis
      • Gastric Bypass Malpractice
      • Medication Errors
      • Meningitis
      • Neurological Injuries
      • Statute of Limitations
    • Criminal Defense
  • Blog
  • Results
    • Medical Malpractice Results
    • Nursing Home Abuse Results
    • Personal Injury Results
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Nursing Home Citation Map
    • Nursing Home Citations
    • Westchester County
      • Westchester County Accident Lawyer
      • Westchester County Contingency Fee Lawyers
      • Westchester Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
    • New Rochelle
      • New Rochelle Car Accident Lawyers
    • Mamaroneck
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
    • Attorney Profiles
      • Daniel F. Gallivan
      • Thomas L. Gallivan
      • James C. Freeman
      • Andrew J. Gilbride
    • Testimonials
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
      • Car Accident Lawyers
        • Lawsuits and Settlements
        • Distracted Driving Accidents
        • After a Car Accident
        • Passenger in a Car Accident
        • How To Get Compensation
        • Uninsured Motorist Accidents
      • 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Lawyers
      • Burn Injury Lawyers
      • Bus Accident Attorneys
      • Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
      • Slip & Fall Lawyers
      • Spinal Cord Injury Lawyers
      • Traumatic Brain Injuries
      • Truck Accident Lawyers
        • Delivery Truck Accidents
      • Wrongful Death Lawyers
      • Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
      • Uber Accident Lawyers
    • Nursing Home Abuse
      • Bedsores and Pressure Ulcers
      • Brain Bleeds
      • Bruises and Cuts
      • Elopement
      • Falls & Broken Bones
      • Group Home Abuse
      • Infections
      • Malnutrition
      • Medication Errors
      • Physical Abuse
      • Wrongful Death
    • Medical Malpractice
      • Birth Injury
      • Emergency Room Negligence
      • Failure to Diagnose
        • Stroke and Heart Attack
        • Lymphoma
        • Leukemia
        • Cancer
        • Breast Cancer
        • Colon Cancer
        • Prostate Cancer
        • Kidney Cancer
      • Hemiparesis
      • Gastric Bypass Malpractice
      • Medication Errors
      • Meningitis
      • Neurological Injuries
      • Statute of Limitations
    • Criminal Defense
  • Blog
  • Results
    • Medical Malpractice Results
    • Nursing Home Abuse Results
    • Personal Injury Results
  • Resources
    • Videos
    • Nursing Home Citation Map
    • Nursing Home Citations
    • Westchester County
      • Westchester County Accident Lawyer
      • Westchester County Contingency Fee Lawyers
      • Westchester Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
    • New Rochelle
      • New Rochelle Car Accident Lawyers
    • Mamaroneck
  • Contact Us
Call
Contact
Blog
Home  /  COVID-19  /  Report: Elder Abuse Increased During Pandemic

Report: Elder Abuse Increased During Pandemic

constant 63613 480

by Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC 06 Jan2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has “stoked” the spread of elder abuse, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal. Citing findings by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a study by Yale University researchers, the report observes that “the number of elder-fraud victims increased 55% between 2019 and 2020,” while more than 20% of seniors living in private residences “reported abuse in April and May 2020,” during the early pandemic lockdowns. That figure itself represents “an 83.6% increase over pre-pandemic prevalence estimates.”

While elder abuse was already on the rise before Covid-19, experts anticipate it will continue increasing as the population gets older and as a result declining caregiver workforces. The labor shortage in licensed caregivers is attributed in part to “low pay and burnout,” according to the Journal, which results in attrition. The loss of “social connections” during the pandemic also raises the “likelihood of isolation,” which the Journal notes is “a key risk factor in abuse.”

The Covid-19 pandemic left elderly Americans more vulnerable to abuse, as lockdown orders and distancing guidelines “left older adults isolated and at times sheltering with abusers, either family or caregivers who threatened to send them to a nursing home or cough on them if they didn’t give them money,” according to the Journal. At the same time, professionals who investigate abuse were left unable to visit potential victims in their homes, while nursing homes and other long-term care facilities “relied on questionable temporary workers.” A district attorney general in Memphis, Tennessee told the paper that her department’s elder abuse team “reviewed 51 cases in the first nine months” of 2021; in 2019, she said, it reviewed less than a dozen all year.

woman 100343 340

Elder abuse can be difficult to identify, let alone prevent, because it often involves family members, one advocate told the Journal. The report goes on to describe a case in which a woman discovered that her 55-year-old brother, while acting as caregiver for their 78-year-old father, hit him on the legs with a crowbar, causing injuries. The brother was arrested and charged with aggravated assault of an elderly person.

In other cases, the pandemic made it difficult for people to visit their family members in long-term care facilities, where they may have observed abuse by staff members. The Journal describes the case of a temporary employee at a Denver long-term care facilities who “stole an engagement ring and credit cards” from an 86-year-old resident. The employee had been hired during a “Covid-related staff shortage.” A background check conducted by a staffing agency reportedly failed to detect that the woman was “on probation for robbery and had a string of earlier arrests for driving under the influence, trespassing, and identity theft.” The staffing agency’s owner told the Journal that she had provided “false identification” and made false statements in her employment application.

More information about the Covid-19 pandemic’s influence on the rise of elder abuse cases is available via the Wall Street Journal.

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC work diligently to protect the rights of nursing home residents.  Please contact us to discuss in the event you have a potential case involving neglect or abuse.

Posted in: COVID-19, Elder Population Studies, Nursing Home Violations, Physical Abuse

Primary Sidebar

Get In Touch

Practice Areas

  • Personal Injury
    • Wrongful Death
    • Motor Vehicle Accidents
    • Trucking Accidents
    • Pedestrian Accidents
    • Construction Accidents
    • Scaffolding Accidents
    • Slip, Trip & Falls (Premises Liability)
    • Negligent Supervision at a School or Day Care
    • Sidewalk Falls
    • Elevator Accidents
    • Train and Subway Accidents
  • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Bedsores (Pressure Ulcers)
    • Falls & Fractures
    • Malnutrition and Dehydration
    • Physical and Sexual Abuse
    • Wandering & Elopement
    • Unexplained Bruises and Cuts
    • Infection
    • Choking Incidents
    • Medication Errors
    • Group Homes
    • Assisted Living Facilities
  • Criminal/DWI Defense
    • DWI (Driving While Intoxicated)
    • Criminal Defense
    • Traffic Violations
    • DMV Refusal Hearings
    • Sex Crimes
    • Shoplifting & Larceny
    • Assault & Vehicular Assault
    • Drug Possession
    • Drug Sales
    • Weapons Charges
    • Domestic Violence
    • How is a DWI Defined in New York?
    • Is the Driver’s License Confiscated Immediately Upon a DWI Arrest?
  • Medical Malpractice
    • Failure to Diagnose Cancer
    • Birth Injuries (Gynecological, Obstetrical)
    • Medication Errors
    • Surgical Errors
    • Gastric Bypass Surgery Errors
    • Emergency Room Errors
    • Failure to Diagnose Heart Attack or Stroke
    • Cerebral Palsy
    • Erbs Palsy Birth Injury
  • Trusts + Estates
    • Wills & Trusts
    • Divorce, Child Support, Custody Issues
    • Elder Law
    • Estate Planning
    • Guardianships
    • Medicaid-Planning
    • Power of Attorney / Health Care Proxy
    • Probate and Estate Administration
    • Surrogate Court Litigation
    • Real Estate
    • Business Formation
    • Wills
    • Will Contests

View All Practice Areas

View All Blogs

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

" Last year I was injured in an accident, and for the first time, needed the advice of an attorney regarding how to proceed. I was referred to Thomas Gallivan through a family member who is a lawyer in Massachusetts. I am beyond pleased with how Thomas handled my case. He was knowledgeable, professional, and although the case was not as straightforward as some, he used every resource to ensure a positive outcome. Thomas communicated with me regularly and I felt completely informed and confident in his ability. He expertly negotiated a fair settlement that I was very happy with. The entire experience was extremely positive, during a stressful time for me. Thank you Thomas. "

Melanie

" Attorney Thomas Gallivan is a wonderful attorney!! I particularly liked his professionalism, consistency, always kept us updated on the case, and available upon request. He worked extremely hard and was persistent on getting the best settlement in a timely matter. I truly appreciated his prompt responsiveness to emails and phone calls. The office staff was very pleasant and made sure to get messages to him asap. Glad we chose this law firm, would highly recommend and in the event that we ever need an attorney again, Gallivan & Gallivan would be my primary choice. "

Katherine R.

" I was a passenger on a motorcycle and ended up falling off the back of the bike due to the driver acting like an idiot. I fell off at a high rate of speed and was very banged up. Fractured wrist and road rash down my back and elbows. I am lucky I didnt die. Not knowing what to do I contacted Thomas and he could not have been anymore helpful!! He went out of his way to meet with me. He actually came to my house for the initial consultation. I know nothing about law or what my options even were. He took me through everything step by step. "

Colin W.

View All Testimonials

245 Main St Suite 450 White Plains, NY 10601

Phone:
(914) 220-1086

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

555 5th Ave 14th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Toll Free:
(855) 228-7369

(By Appointment Only)

1370 RXR Plaza
Uniondale, NY 11556

Phone:
(914) 594-6820

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

12 1st St
Riverhead, NY 11901

Phone:
(914) 825-5855

Fax:
(516) 394-4229

Personal Injury

  • Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
  • Slip & Fall Injury Lawyers
  • Wrongful Death Lawyers
  • Personal Injury Lawyers
  • Construction Accident Lawyers
  • Westchester County Personal Injury Lawyer

Nursing Home Abuse

  • Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
  • Bedsores Lawyer
  • Brain Bleeds
  • Bruises and Cuts
  • Elopement
  • Falls & Broken Bones
  • Group Home Abuse
  • Infections
  • How to Report Nursing Home Abuse

Car Accidents

  • Car Accident Lawyers
  • Car Accident Settlements
  • Distracted Driving Accidents
  • Truck Accident Lawyers
  • Delivery Accident Lawyers
  • Uber Accident Lawyers

Medical Malpractice

  • Medical Malpractice Lawyers
  • Emergency Room Negligence
  • Medication Errors
  • Neurological Injuries
  • Orthopedic Malpractice
  • Ophthalmology Errors
  • Failure to Diagnose
    • Heart Attack or Stroke
    • Leukemia
    • Cancer
    • Bladder Cancer
    • Breast Cancer
    • Colon Cancer
    • Skin Cancer

Birth Injury

  • Birth Injury Lawyers
  • Erb’s Palsy
  • Birth Asphyxia
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Sepsis Infections
  • Neonatal Infections
  • Brachial Plexus
  • Hypo-Ischemic Encephalopathy
  • Shoulder Dystocia
  • Jaundice
  • Encephalomalacia

Helpful Content

  • Stage 4 Bedsore Lawsuits and Settlements
  • Nursing Home Abuse Citation Map
  • Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
  • Riverhead NY Injury Lawyers
  • White Plains Accident Lawyers

Footer

  • Personal Injury
  • Nursing Home Abuse
  • Medical Malpractice
  • Car Accidents

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING

Copyright © 2022, Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC | Sitemap