NJ Elder-Abuse Protections Among Worst In The Country: Report

NEW JERSEY — When it comes to protections against elder abuse, New Jersey is lacking, according to a recent report. WalletHub released a list of "2022’s States with the Best Elder-Abuse Protections," ranking the Garden State fourth to last.

The personal-finance website compared all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., across 16 key metrics, from "elder-abuse, gross-neglect and exploitation complaints" to "financial elder-abuse laws." Here's where New Jersey ranked in several key metrics, according to WalletHub:

• complaints of elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation: 44th
• total expenditures on elder-abuse prevention: 25th
• total longterm-care ombudsman-program funding: 37th
• number of eldercare organizations and services: 31st
• financial elderly-abuse laws: 43rd

Only South Carolina (49th), Montana (50th) and Utah (51st) placed lower than New Jersey. Wisconsin topped WalletHub's list.

About 1 in 10 Americans age 60-plus have experienced some form of elder abuse, according to the National Council on Aging. But only 1 in 25 incidents gets reported to authorities, according to a 2020 study cited by the National Center on Elder Abuse.

Some of the greatest issues in New Jersey nursing homes include facilities providing lesser care to Medicaid residents, which is illegal, along with improper use of behavior-modifying drugs and restraints, according to the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman.

"Sad to say, these are issues that we are constantly helping nursing home residents and their families to resolve, even in 'good' nursing homes," said Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, the state's longterm care ombudsman. "Most people do not even know that nursing home residents have important rights to quality care, let alone what they can do when facilities violate their rights."

Signs of Elder Abuse

The National Center on Elder Abuse lists the most frequently observed signs of potential mistreatment.

Psychological abuse

• Emotional distress or agitation
• Withdrawal from activities of daily life
• Uncommunicative or non-responsive
• Unusual behaviors commonly attributed to dementia (examples: sucking, biting, rocking)
• Lack of self-care
• Lower self-esteem, feelings of despair or a sense of worthlessness

Physical abuse

• Bruises, abrasions, welts, lacerations, or rope marks
• Sudden behavioral changes
• Medication overdose or chemical restraints
• Physical indicia of punishment, including evidence of physical restraints
• Falls, including broken eyeglasses or frames
• Bite, strangulation, burn marks or patterns of injury
• Sprains, dislocations, and internal injuries/bleeding
• Open wounds, cuts, punctures, untreated injuries in various stages of healing
• Head trauma and/or bone fractures

Financial abuse

• Dehydration or malnutrition
• Untreated bed sores
• Poor personal hygiene
• Unattended or untreated health problems
• Unsafe living conditions
• Unsanitary living conditions

Sexual abuse

• Bruises, abrasions, or lacerations around the breasts or genital area
• Unexplained sexually transmitted disease or genital infection
• Unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding or incontinence
• Increased anxiety or depressive symptoms
• Sleep disturbances, agitation, or restlessnes

For resources on elder abuse in New Jersey, check out National Center on Elder Abuse's list of state resources.