Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes In the United States, the largest number of people over the age of 65 was recorded in the 2010 census at 40.3 million, which is approximately 13% of the population. This figure is expected to increase in the coming decades. It is projected that by 2050, older adults will make up 20% of the population (Population aged 65 and older by age and sex 2010 - US Census Bureau). The size of the elderly population has a huge impact on elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes. Elder abuse is often a hidden and overlooked problem in our society, with many different forms and not always obvious. Elder abuse is defined as intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm (whether the harm is intentional or unintentional) to a vulnerable older adult by a caregiver or other person in a caring relationship. trust with the elderly. This includes the caregiver's failure to meet the elder's basic needs or protect the elder from harm (Elder Abuse - Bonnie R. Wallace). Every year, 4 million older Americans are victims of abuse. This includes physical, emotional, sexual, financial, neglect and abandonment. Physical, emotional, financial and abandonment are the most persistent. Physical abuse is defined as inflicting pain on a vulnerable elder. This includes punching, kicking, pinching, force-feeding and restraint. However, depriving someone of their basic needs, such as not feeding or bathing them, not giving them medications, or giving them a lot of medications, also falls under physical abuse. The signs that a person is being physically abused are not always obvious to the eye. Sometimes you can see changes in their behaviors. If they were once happy and suddenly became without… half the paper… or naps. Once completed, it's time for lunch where the whole process starts all over again. Some states have enacted laws that limit the number of residents a person can care for. This takes a lot of pressure off the staff, who can then focus more on the residents' needs instead of wondering whether they will get the things they need on time or not. Here in Wisconsin there is currently no law that limits the number of residents a caregiver can care for. There is only one law that states that for 1 to 59 residents a nurse or RN must be on staff during the day, for 60 to 74 residents a nurse or RN must be on staff at the facility 24/7 and for 100+ residents there must be 1 DON and 1 RN on duty or on call. However, nothing for direct staff (Nursing Home Staffing Standards in State Statutes and Regulations - UCSF 2007).